NEW LETTER: Hundreds of youth beg progressive lawmakers to stand up for them against KOSA and conservative attacks on reproductive and LGBTQ content

In a letter directly addressed to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, hundreds of LGBTQ youth from across the country personally implore Democrats to stand up and oppose the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). KOSA passed the Senate over the summer and passed through the House Energy & Commerce committee today.

Hundreds of thousands of young people have called and emailed lawmakers in opposition to KOSA since the legislation was first introduced, but they continue to be largely written off in the halls of Congress. Hundreds of parents of trans and gender expansive kids have written to Congress, explaining how online resources and information are lifelines for their families, and they have been unforgivably ignored despite their daily criminalization and demonization by conservatives across the country. Dozens of reproductive justice, LGBTQ, and digital rights organizations have continuously surfaced their issues with the legislation and laid out their fears of how the legislation could be used against the communities they serve. 

You can find the full letter here. 

The following can be attributed to Sarah Philips (she/they), campaigner at Fight for the Future:

“The Heritage Foundation, architect of Project 2025, has made their plan clear: they will use KOSA to censor life-saving content for trans youth and abortion seekers. We cannot be serious about the threat Project 2025 poses to the people in this country if we stand by and watch rightwing lawmakers lay the groundwork to widespread censorship of marginalized communities.

This new letter, directly addressed to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, features comments and thoughts from hundreds of LGBTQ youth who use the internet for information, to find friends who have similar identities and experiences, who have turned to online communities for the acceptance and solidarity they might not have at home or at school. The data shows us that LGBTQ young people of color, some of the most vulnerable populations in this country, do better and live longer when they have access to online communities. Many of these comments are from youth organizers who have been taking to the Internet in droves in defense of online resources, and organizing their online communities against bad internet bills that threaten their existence and privacy. Some of these young people live in unaccepting households or don’t have the access to fly into DC and lobby in Congressional offices, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be listened to. They have a right to weigh-in on the legislation that directly affects and implicates their day-to-day lives and relationships. If this is about protecting kids: we need to actually listen to them, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable of them.”

YouthAgainstKOSA.com features dozens of comments from LGBTQ youth. Here are just a few of the deeply impactful thoughts from these young people:

“I would be completely alone and scared if I didn’t have an online community of people who saw and understood me for who I was at a young age. If KOSA passed for me when I was a child, I would not know who I am or what I like. I would be completely lost, as I was better at making online friends than friends in real life, especially being on the spectrum and in the LGBT+ community. Should I have grown up without my friends? Should other kids like me grow up without their friends? No. The way to protect kids is not to take away a space where they can exercise autonomy, self-discipline, and creative and social freedom. The way to protect kids is to educate them on consent and self-love, to give them their own spaces to be themselves, and to give them privacy. Do you not remember how valued privacy was when you were a teenager? Children need space to grow and make mistakes. KOSA will invade this space, and will stunt the growth and happiness of children and is not worth it. Invest in long time solutions! Kids are worth the time it takes to learn how to be both safe and free on their own. Foster that growth instead of bad bills like KOSA.” -Emma B

“Being able to find a community online when there isn’t one where you are helps you make connections and learn more about said community and where you fit in it.” -Melissa H, Alabama

“The internet saved my life by providing me with a support system when I had nobody else due to being raised in a cult.” -Avis A, Arizona

“The internet has been an incredible resource for me as an LGBTQ teenager, and without it I would have felt isolated and not have known how to describe my feelings or ask for help. I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to access these resources and know they are not alone.” -Kennedy B, Arizona

“I’m a closeted youth whose parents are hardcore Mormon. If I lose these resources then I lose a part of myself.” -Elliott T, Arkansas

“Every child needs a space to grow and be them to obtain a good healthy balance. In a world where we no longer have a third space where kids can just be, the internet is that space. KOSA is not a bill that’ll save kids, it only controls and diminishes the freedom a person can have based on another person or government body’s feelings on the matter.” -Amanda Kleckner, Arizona

“Sometimes the internet is the only way to find community or to learn the language to explain your experience.” -Liza H, California

“because spaces are so so limited. Let us keep this.” -Ankita K, Georgia

“Because I lived through online censorship once with SESTA/FOSTA and it destroyed my online community. I refuse to let that happen to me and my friends again.” -Melissa Kadri, Michigan

“Because if KOSA is passed, my brother and I will lose all access to any form of help should our family find out we’re queer.” -Lionel C., Kentucky

“KOSA is a bill that looks like it has good intentions on paper, but the more you look into it, the more you can see flaws that could be abused for harmful censorship. As such, there is too much room for government members who view themes within the LGBTQ community as harmful, to omit those themes. This takes away the right of freedom of speech but also takes away the youths ability to find support and information on such topics. Specifically, the internet has become the best place for people to find support and communities, where they have none at home. KOSA would mean taking that away, and leaving the youth in a potentially unsafe environment with nowhere to turn to. This kind of bill wont keep anyone safe, it will just make things worse.” -Annaka T, North Carolina

“Because KOSA will take every single thing that saved me and made my life way more bearable, everything in my life right now is the reason I live still today.” -Caroline L, Washington
“Because I was a gay kid. I was a trans kid. I know exactly how terrifying it is to live in a world where you understand nothing and know only that you’re different. Kids need access to resources both online and offline to learn about themselves and others and to feel safe in their own skin.” -Alexander C, Washington