I am writing as a parent of a transgender child in Northern Virginia. She transitioned socially before kindergarten and has continued through school as the girl she is. She is generally happy at school and in our community and has a great group of friends. She is busy with school, Girl Scouts, soccer, and other activities typical of girls her age.
The proposed 2022 Model Policies will harm her and other trans students if they go into effect. Trans students might be challenged in the bathroom or in PE, and they might be called by their dead name by any teacher who is curious enough to look through their school records and who believes their religion gives them permission to decide what names or pronouns to use with a child, regardless of what the child tells them. Trans students would be subject to harassment by classmates and school employees. School would no longer be a safe place to learn.
The proposed 2022 model policies claim to support parental rights, but they do not do so. Instead they reject the rights of parents of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive students who want their children to learn in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment. The proposed 2022 model policies reject the rights of parents who want their children to know and appreciate a learning environment that affirms LGBTQ+ students and adults.
Trans-affirming schools save lives. These proposed 2022 model policies will harm students in the name of preserving the religious values of a minority of Virginia residents who reject inclusivity and diversity. The proposed 2022 model policies will leave many transgender students in Virginia without a safe space and without a safe adult.
Furthermore, the Virginia Human Rights Act provides protection against discrimination based on gender identity. Other federal laws and court cases have affirmed the rights of transgender individuals to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. These proposed 2022 model policies violate these laws.
Rescind these proposed 2022 model policies and reinstate the evidence-based trans-affirming model policies of 2021.