Every kid deserves the chance to play sports with their friends and teammates — that's the whole point of school athletics. But Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for governor of Iowa, is telling voters he wants to ban transgender kids from playing on the team that matches who they are.

In an interview with Politico's Jonathan Martin, Sand said, "I just think girls' sports are for girls and boys' sports are for boys," according to Erin Reed's reporting. He brushed off concerns about the language used to describe transgender kids, saying people "get mad if you use this word or that word."

Iowa has already passed some of the harshest anti-trans laws in the country, including a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth, restrictions on school bathroom access, and the removal of gender identity from the state's Civil Rights Act. A trans sports ban would add one more barrier for kids who just want to be part of a team.

Sand isn't alone — other Iowa Democrats running for office this year have echoed the same position. But being on a team, following the same rules as everyone else, and building friendships through sports is something every kid should be able to do, regardless of politics.

Rob Sand can still choose a different path. He can stand up for the idea that Iowa's kids — all of them — deserve to play, practice, and grow up together on the same fields and courts.

Sign the petition telling Rob Sand to reject the trans youth sports ban and support every Iowa kid's right to play.