Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document was developed in response to House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, which directed the Virginia Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools. These guidelines address common issues regarding transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to: compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students; prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; maintenance of student records; identification of students; protection of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and student participation in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities.
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2/3/21  3:04 pm
Commenter: West

A message from a trans adult in the community - VOTE YES!
 

It's hard to write about something that hits so close to home. As a trans adult who faced inequity growing up, I can't stress enough how important it is to support our trans kids. We need to support them in who they are, not who you think they are. Using religion as any sort of argument against protecting trans children goes directly against the separation of church and state and should not be considered. Using biology to justify bigotry towards trans people is factually incorrect and has no place in our laws and schools. As a marginalized group, trans people need the support of our schools to stop allowing harassment and discrimination from those who don't take the time to understand our experiences. This guidance will hopefully be the start to a better learning environment for all people, regardless of how others feel about them. Vote YES!

CommentID: 95642