“Mom, please pick me up, hurry.”

A mom who gets this call from a child in school immediately goes into rapid response mode. Transgender kids will likely make these calls to their moms due to the executive order about school bathrooms and relinquishing its governance to local states. By the stroke of his pen, schools also became the anti-thesis of learning and safety for these children.

My main concern is that these kids now have invisible targets on their backs. By going to the wrong bathroom, just like choosing the wrong water fountain decades ago, they are now in peril. The possibility of being more embarrassed because they did not make it to the closest bathroom in time now instills sheer panic.

These new invisible targets on their backs are now signals to bully them, physically and emotionally. Kids have died and were viciously attacked due to this type of bullying. Even a slight, deriding smile or glance will be enough to instill fear, deep in their psyche.

A transgender child did not make their decision lightly. The emotional angst alone is heavy. To add derision, discrimination and risk their safety just made it heart-wrenching and inhumane.

For a moment, put yourselves in the shoes and hearts of these moms and children. Just imagine your child making this phone call in tears. I am sure you wish you could get there at warp speed to console and save them.

I request that our FH teachers and mothers teach their kids about tolerance and empathy, if not already. I call on the wider AZ community, local schools and elected politicians to fix this with a great sense of urgency. Check if we have local kids affected and act now! Tick tock, a child’s life or safety could be in your hands.