As a Virginia resident and voter, I strongly oppose any language in SB 656 that seeks to remove references to homosexuality in public education, or attempts to brand references of homosexuality as sexually explicit.

Many VA students will be harmed by this - students who identify as LGBTQ+, students with parents or other family members who identify as LGBTQ+, and those who are allies. And what about teachers and staff who are LGBTQ+??? Should we negate their life and their experience and attempt to put them back in the closet. Don’t they have the right to be their authentic selves with their students?

This whole “don’t say gay” movement is a disturbing trend to placate close minded people who wish gay people didn’t exist and to attempt to make them “more comfortable” so that they can continue to openly discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community and not feel bad about it. It’s horrific and backwards and harmful.

Gay people exist. Get used to it.