Contact: Sam Garin, Fairplay ([email protected])
Fairplay statement on the Kids Online Safety Act and protections for LGBTQ+ youth
BOSTON, MA — Tuesday, May 23, 2023 —The following statement can be attributed to Sam Garin, Fairplay Communications Manager:
“Fairplay is deeply disturbed to see transphobic and homophobic activists threatening to weaponize the Kids Online Safety Act against queer, trans, and gender nonconforming youth. KOSA will create the online protections that every child needs, including LGBTQ+ youth – it is not a cudgel to be used against children seeking support for and understanding of their identities.
When the Kids Online Safety Act was introduced last year, LGBTQ+ advocates expressed concerns about how the bill could be used to harm queer youth. As a result of their advocacy, a number of key changes were made to the bill to ensure that KOSA could not be weaponized against young LGBTQ+ people. The newly reintroduced Kids Online Safety Act was revised so that LGBTQ+ content would not be interpreted as harmful to children, and ensures that young people on the internet are not restricted from deliberately and independently searching for specific content.
Fairplay proudly stands up for the safety and wellbeing of every child, including and especially LGBTQ+ youth. We unequivocally oppose the ongoing efforts to restrict trans youth from accessing lifesaving gender affirming care, as well as efforts to limit LGBTQ+ youth from finding community, support, and resources online. Every child deserves access to an internet that is supportive of who they are, affirming of their identity, and safe.”
For more information on the Kids Online Safety Act and LGBTQ+ youth, click here.
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