Sally Walsh of Topsham is retired from a 40-year career as a pediatric nurse practitioner in pediatric primary care.

For those considering the transgender issue and how the ballot question may appear, please ask yourself if the right questions are being posed. The issue of transgender and young people dealing with it has been around for many years, just not as publicized.

As pediatric health care providers 30 years ago, we needed to learn how to assist these young people with the struggles both mental and physical they were enduring. It was a steep learning curve for all of us. Some had tragic consequences when society or the child in question couldn’t accept the struggles they were encountering; others had support from family members who advocated for them and we all learned and addressed issues as they came. It took years.

So today, when the word “transgender” seems to bring forth horror stories, fear of something contagious or labels as being unfair to girls’ sports, why aren’t these extremely worried and vocal people really advocating for girls’ sports?

Let’s ask a few other questions:

Assuming the worry is due to oversized “unnatural” players unfairly replacing others of lesser size (and skills) should the sports be regulated by size and weight? If so, what happens when a child of a genetically large family appears in town to join the team? Another potential team member doesn’t make the team since playing on the team is the only option. Who chooses them to be on the team: is it the coach and school community who want to win or is the concern whether the team has to play against them or with them?

Why aren’t there other opportunities to learn a skill aligned with the sport: coaching assistant, sports medicine trainee, logistics in team travel planning, cost estimates and budgeting?

While you are pondering these questions check the salaries of the female vs. male coaching staffs. What do the locker rooms and training facilities look like? How much emphasis is placed on female spots vs. male teams in the town budgets? Perhaps then the discussion of equity in sports can be a legitimate conversation.

And to that woman who is telling the world about 7- and 8-year-olds saying they want to be transgender, at that age they are not thinking about sexual choice, they most likely need some attention or desire the uniform jacket they would get to wear.

Try not to be so afraid; there are much larger issues needing your attention.