One voice. How important can one voice be, when compared to the sea of the many? The power of one voice can inspire confidence, and on the other side of the coin, one voice can instill fear. Collectively, putting those voices together can inspire action and effect change for those who may be unable to use voices of their own.

Recently LD 1002, otherwise titled “An Act to Protect Children’s Identification by Requiring Public Schools to Use the Name and Gender Specified on a Child’s Birth Certificate,” was a bill that died on the Maine legislative floor. The premise of the bill legally required both public and charter school employees to use a child’s name and biological sex as listed on their birth certificate. It was one of many bills introduced, grouped together to support a wave of anti-transgender rhetoric currently sweeping the political landscape.

Put forth with the aim of gender equality and safety for our children, such a misguided bill would not only have worked to further stigmatize but also endanger the lives of the children of our great state. The bill in question was also not reflective of the majority opinion of the citizens of our nation.

GLAAD finds that the majority of Americans are not only supportive of a person’s chosen identity, but of their children’s identities. Consequently, children at the age of 4 are generally considered to have a healthy sense of their gender, according to HealthyChildren.org. With this in mind, responsible-minded adults in children’s lives work to support children in their sense of self, building them up instead of tearing them down.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, there are currently 597 bills — proposed, dead or passed — across the nation aimed at limiting the rights of transgender people today. From various facilities bans to the limitation of gender-affirming care, each and every bill that exists brings about harm to those they target.

The Trevor Project found that between 2018 and 2022, forty-eight anti-transgender laws were enacted in 19 different states. In this time period, it also found that suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth increased by up to 72%. With this knowledge, it is unconscionable to think that we here in Maine would allow our politicians to risk our children’s welfare to achieve their political goals.

This is a precedent that cannot be set in the name of free speech, as a violation of human rights. If we allow those in power to bully our youngest citizens into using legally mandated identities, it makes it all the easier for those in power to silence adult transgender identities.

As an educator, I know the power of my voice. In seconds, I can use my voice to inspire confidence to the nervous, and calm the bodies of those who are anxious. My voice can join in the excitement of the happiest of my littles, and it can comfort those who may need it the most. Importantly, my voice may be the only safe voice a child hears throughout the day.

To that end, I will use my voice to further cement the chosen identities of the students who I am lucky enough to teach. I will not be using my voice, with the strength that it wields, to further someone else’s political agenda. I will continue to use my voice to bring about hope and kindness. With the rejection of this bill, I can continue to do so without the fear of legal repercussions.