I am so hopeful to see the possibility of a brighter, safer future for today's LGBTQIA+ youth in Virginia through the implementation of policies and practices like those outlined in the proposed document. You need look no further than some of the comments on this very page to see why protections against harassment, bullying, and discrimination are vitally necessary. Creating an environment where it is safe for children and teenagers to explore and express their gender identities during the formative years of their lives is so important to the development of healthy, happy adults. Building the mechanisms to respect and defend their identities saves lives. We can simultaneously protect LGBTQIA+ youth while helping their peers unlearn misguided fear and hatred so that for future generations, policies like these seem like mere common sense. Growing up, I had no such policies or support, and I grew up just thinking I was weird and wrong. It wasn't until I was nearly thirty that I began to figure out my own queer identity, and another five years or so until I became comfortable inhabiting that identity. I don't want to see my or my sister's children having to struggle so long to find themselves, if they do not fit in the gender they were assigned at birth or do not love the genders that they were told to love, just because the school system will not support them or protect them from reckless hate. I support trans youth, and I applaud all those who came together to research and develop these policies and put them forward for implementation. You are heroes.