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  12:26 am
Commenter: A transgender Virginian

Strongly support - well-researched and necessary
 

As a transgender Virginian who works on LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion, I strongly support this well-researched, comprehensive guidance document. The policies proposed in this document follow widely established best practices and are in accordance with state and federal nondiscrimination law. This guidance is a necessary and encouraging step in ensuring Virginia is welcoming to all.

As a previous commenter noted, the opposition expressed in this forum reflects the necessity of this document. The common oppositions here rely on misconceptions, fearmongering, and pseudoscience that have no basis in reality. Transgender children deserve an education free from fear of harassment or discrimination, just as all students do.

CommentID: 94684