Senator Melissa Ratcliff Stands United with LGBTQIA+ Community and Allies in Condemning Discriminatory Bills

State Senator Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) joined hundreds of parents, students, educators, advocates, clergy, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community in publicly condemning two bills targeting the LGBTQIA+ community and Trans and Nonbinary students at a public hearing on March 6, 2025.

Assembly Bill 100 would ban certain transgender student-athletes from participating on sports teams based on their gender identity. Assembly Bill 103 would require Wisconsin school boards to adopt a policy forbidding the use of a student’s chosen name or pronouns without proof of a legal name change.

“Hours of eloquent, moving, and compelling testimony from hundreds of people opposed to these bills should be enough to stop these pieces of legislation from moving forward,” Senator Ratcliff said. “But it probably won’t be. These hateful, unnecessary bills are a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook: sow division and chaos with a crusade against vulnerable people.”

From Senator Ratcliff Prepared Remarks on Assembly Bill 103: “The State Legislature should not be micromanaging policy choices local School Boards make. But ultimately and most importantly, the State Legislature has no legitimate reason to force itself into the lives of Wisconsin’s trans and nonbinary students and their families. These anti-trans bills aim to target a small percentage of our population – of our children! – who have not hurt anyone. How deeply sad that there are bullies in the State Legislature who go out of their way to create bills that single out these vulnerable students: students who want nothing more – and nothing less – then to be recognized as who they are.”

From Senator Ratcliff Prepared Remarks on Assembly Bill 100: “The message of this bill is clear: that some of our children should be excluded because of their gender identity… It’s about excluding children from sports teams – teams that are supposed to be about inclusion and working together and accepting each other’s differences. This bill causes me great personal sadness as well: it treats my son as if he is a threat and his existence is something that can be legislated away. I stand with my son and all trans and nonbinary young people. Their courage and perseverance inspire me to keep fighting for the rights, love, and support they deserve.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.