Trans and nonbinary youth in San Francisco have a message for President Donald Trump: Hands off our teachers.
At a press conference Friday at the Milton Marks Conference Center, Kanoa Wilson, a 15-year-old high school freshman, stood flanked by a cheering crowd of more than a hundred LGTBQ+ community members and allies.
“I was born this way; nobody made me nonbinary. I am just who I am,” they said.
Kanoa spit back at Trump’s recent executive orders, one of which asserts that teachers are indoctrinating kids and teens into “gender ideology extremism.”
“My teachers teach me a lot of things. Do you want to know what they don’t do? They don’t sexually exploit me. That’s insane to even suggest,” Kanoa said. “My teachers are the reason I’m not an ignorant bigot like the president.”
California lawmakers are working to strengthen transgender sanctuary protections for youth like Kanoa. Speaking at the event, State Sen. Scott Wiener described the scramble by the California Legislative LGTBQ Caucus.
“We are actively looking at how to strengthen and expand that law to protect folks,” Wiener said. “That is all in process. This is coming at us so quickly.”
Trump has delivered a flurry of executive orders aimed at eroding civil rights for transgender and queer people, including directing the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute teachers who affirm transgender and nonbinary students’ gender identities and prohibiting youths from accessing gender-affirming healthcare with parental support.
The president also rolled back federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and ordered the U.S. government to recognize only two sexes, assigned at birth.
Trump hasn’t stopped there — the U.S. State Department has even dropped the “T” for transgender from its travel advisories. The agency refers to “LGB travelers,” erasing an entire community from its communications.
This month, Wiener introduced SB 59, a bill intended to seal court records around gender transitions. The state Senate, Assembly, and Gov. Gavin Newsom are girding for legal attacks from Trump with a $50 million war chest.
However, the protections offered by California’s transgender sanctuary state law in particular appear to be in the president’s crosshairs. That law, Senate Bill 107, approved in 2022 and authored by Wiener, offers legal protections for families coming to California for gender-affirming care and for the medical professionals who provide it. Wiener said lawmakers are looking to expand SB 107 to cover teachers and further protect families. When asked for details, he said lawmakers are in the early stages, exploring what can be done.
“The federal government is very powerful, but we’re going to do what we can,” Wiener said.
Trump’s executive order titled “Ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” alleges that “parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight.” It directs the attorney general to “enforce the law and file appropriate actions” against K-12 teachers and school officials who facilitate the social transition of a minor student or are “sexually exploiting minors.”
Also at the press conference, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said his office is closely monitoring how Trump’s executive orders are implemented.
“While federal policies may shift, our city will remain committed to equity and safety for our trans community,” Chiu said. “We condemn these executive orders.”
Wiener and Chiu were flanked by a bevy of local officials who affirmed their commitment to protecting the LGTBQ+ community, including San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su, Board President Rafael Mandelman, and Supervisors Connie Chan, Chyanne Chen, and Jackie Fielder.
Mayor Daniel Lurie was unable to attend the press conference due to scheduling conflicts, his office said. However, he met with a group of young people Thursday night at the LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth and reaffirmed his commitment to defending them in an Instagram video.