Lawmakers and community members in Wisconsin are clashing over a Republican-backed bill aimed at transgender students, which would restrict students’ ability to change their legal names and pronouns on school records.

The anti-trans bill, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Dittrich, (R), and Sen. André Jacque, (R), would require legal documentation and parental consent for a student to change their name in school records. It would also stop school staff from using a student’s chosen name or pronouns that don’t align with the student’s “biological sex,” unless parents provide written permission.

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Under current state policy, transgender students in Wisconsin can change their names on school records without a court order. However, some schools in Wisconsin have already adopted policies similar to the ones in the proposed bill, which prevent transgender students from changing their name or pronouns without explicit parent permission.

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Dittrich argued that the legislation is about “parents’ rights”.

“Parents should know what’s going on,” Dittrich said during the hearing, claiming that the bill aims to restore balance in what she called the “three-legged stool” of parents, students, and schools.

Democratic representatives pushed back against this logic.

Out state Rep. Christian Phelps (D), a onetime Wisconsin school teacher, argued the bill is a distraction from more pressing educational issues, like funding for special education and healthy school meals.

“Dittrich wrote a bill in search of a problem that doesn’t exist, and it drives a wedge between parents and teachers,” Phelps said, adding that he’s never encountered a teacher who deliberately deceives parents.

Phelps also asked Dittrich how many transgender people she consulted in drafting the bill. Her response: not a single one.

“I wasn’t surprised, because I know that if you had consulted trans community members before writing this bill, you would not have written the bill,” Phelps told The Daily Cardinal about Dittrich’s response.

Phelps said that what the bill would actually do was further marginalize and isolate transgender students who may not have family support.

“Parental support is too frequently not there for trans and non-binary people,” he said, emphasizing that the bill would take away vital support at schools, leaving many students without any reliable safety net.

The Committee on Education heard nearly seven hours of public testimony during its second hearing on the bill. Phelps noted that many parents of transgender children testified against the legislation, which he said made it clear their voices are not being heard despite Dittrich’s claims of seeking parental input.

Brian Juchems, senior director of education and policy at GSAFE, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ students, said the bill places teachers in “a really impossible position.” Under the bill’s provisions, staff would be prohibited from using any name or pronouns not reflected in a student’s official records. Juchems pointed out that teachers know students perform better when they feel affirmed and supported in the classroom.

He also raised concerns about the mental health impact of anti-transgender laws, citing research from the National Library of Medicine, which shows that 85% of transgender youth experience worsened mental health due to discriminatory legislation. The Trevor Project has reported a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender youth between 2018 and 2022.

“When this type of legislation is introduced or passed, it does nothing to support the health and well-being of our young people,” Juchems said. He also stressed the difficulty many transgender students have coming out to their parents, calling the process “the riskiest, most consequential” conversation they’ll have.

In response to Dittrich’s concerns about involving parents in social transition, Juchems suggested expanding resources for schools to help facilitate these conversations. Dittrich acknowledged this idea could be helpful.

While the bill mandates legal documentation to process name changes, schools still have the authority to deny such requests. The legislative council confirmed during the hearing that schools could deny a name change request, even with a court order. Dittrich downplayed this concern, suggesting students could switch schools if needed.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has vowed to veto any anti-transgender legislation, so even if the bill does make it through the Legislature, it would still face an uphill battle to become law.

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