This bill is a move in the wrong direction and saddens me about the future of Virginia.

The purpose of education is not to protect or coddle students -- nor kowtow to their parents' prejudices, fears, or limitations -- but to introduce them to knowledge and different ways of thinking. Math, literature, foreign languages, art, the sciences, history, even sex ed -- all are ways for children to learn to perceive and understand themselves, the world, and the extraordinary diversity of people in it.

We no longer provide racially segregated education, and students of different faiths and nationalities learn together. Attempts to vilify or “otherize” children on any basis are individually harmful and socially divisive.

Let’s work to prepare Virginia’s children with open, fully functioning minds, confidence, and the capacity for critical thinking and respectful relationships. That’s how the Commonwealth will produce capable citizens of the future.