We know that decisions on policy aren’t just on paper – they have very real impacts on individuals and, by extension, communities. This is one reason we work with youth to influence policy, so that they can have power over their own and their communities’ lived reality.
With this lens, we were heartened earlier this week that the Supreme Court did not hasten a decision that would have put the DACA-mented community further at risk in the tenuous situation caused by the current administration.
We were also heartbroken by the decision of SCOTUS to allow the administration’s ban of people who identify as transgender in the military.
The decision is infuriating, cruel, and not based in any real national concern. The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the ban to go forward while the cases work through the courts is gut wrenching and has profound impacts on real people.
We know that nothing in our lives happens in isolation, and that in particular, actions of our federal government have the ability to cause real, profound physical, mental, and emotional harm to many individuals on our team and in our communities with specific actions they take.
We want to be clear – to our team members, young folks, and community members who identify as part of the trans and the gender non conforming community: We see you, we are listening, and we want to continue to be an organization that is home to, and grows and learns from, your experiences. We want you to know that your lived experience is valuable at YLI and that we are committed to working with you to create communities that feel the same.