Support.

I'm writing to support protections for transgender and non-binary students in all of Virginia's public schools. These students deserve a safe place to learn and succeed, and protections will help facilitate a positive learning environment for everyone.


Highly oppose

I have two young children that attend school in Virginia. I do not support transgender of any type and I feel it is a form of abuse to alow a child to make a choice that has already been made by God. I would never condone my children to ever be rude or mean or disrespectful or to bully someone that made this choice. Children have no idea who or what they want to be when they are young. I wanted to be a professional singer. Clearly that's just not possible if you can't sing. I feel allowing transgender in our public schools shouldnt be acceptable. If we are allowing every aspect of life then as a Christian I want God to be taught in school again. If everyone gets a voice then why are the Christians the ones that never get heard. Why does the way someone else feel matter more then the way I do. Highly oppose!!


Every student should have a right to a safe and supportive environment at school.

I support this.


STRONGLY SUPPORT

The rights of transgender students is immensely important, and I support any policy which would offer them protection.


Strongly Support!

I strongly support the model guidelines set forth by House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161 , passed into law in 2020, that codify protections for transgender and non-binary students in Virginia public schools. I urge our lawmakers to ensure these protections for transgender and non-binary students.


ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!

I vote NO!  As a parent it is my duty to protect my children from what is harmful and not right.  This proposal would create undue harm to my children's safety at school and their education.  I don't need a teacher deciding what they should and should not disclose to me.  I don't need a teacher telling my child un-truths about the world and promoting gender confusion.  I don't need biological boys using the bathroom with my daughter just as I don't need biological girls using the bathroom with my son.  What I need is for teacher to teach!  That's it.  Teach the math. Teach the language arts.  Teach the social studies.  Teach the science, the real science, not this made up agenda that is currently happening in our society.  As if the pandemic has not hindered our children's education enough we now have this proposal.  It is unbelievable and if passed I look for a mass exodus from the public school system.  When there are no children left in the school system to teach there will be no need for public school teachers.  I think those that are voting on this should think long and hard about the lasting effects of this decision for years to come.


Support

Strongly support


Oppose Transgender Guidelines

To whom it may concern; I strongly oppose any efforts to normalize transgenderism, especially in children and as it relates to the school setting. At no time should anyone who is biologically male or female be allowed to participate in anyway with with a sport or restroom reserved for one of two biological sexes. This policy is not supported by the vast majority of Americans and Virginians and you must not bow to a very small minority's wishes to normalize transgenderism. America already has laws in place to make discrimination of any kind illegal. I urge you to stand strong against any attempt to normalize transgenderism in K-12 education. Parents will not tolerate this! Sincerely, Andrew


Strongly opposed!

It is not the schools place to decide anything about a child’s gender! This is a conversation between parents and child and to leave out parents in this discussion is just WRONG!


Strongly Support

Strongly support


reaches beyond protections for discrimination

Oppose**!!


OPPOSE!!!

This is a horribly destructive and harmful policy proposal and is tantamount to government sanctioned child abuse. The brain of a male is not fully developed until he is 24 years old.  These unfortunate children are suffering from gender confusion, a mental disorder. What’s next, telling bulimic girls they’re fat! This is ridiculous. I have no plans or intentions of cooperating with this nonsense.  The intentions and outcomes of this policy are against the overwhelming number of parents and will cause greater confusion, pain and injury to the already susceptible. Reject these policies.


Paid politicians pushing agendas

We all saw this coming. When special interests groups pay their favorite politicians to push policies or agendas that suits them, the rest of the world has to sit back and agree. Virginia public schools can not possibly teach biology correctly when policies goes against science. Grown ups can do whatever they please with their bodies and minds. Let’s allow CHILDREN who can’t vote, can’t drink, can barely remember their homework assignments to make such drastic changes to their bodies. Let’s then make reasonable and logical thinking people pay for it. Should anyone be discriminated against, absolutely not. Certain things should be left to mental health professionals and doctors and not the local PTA!


STRONGLY OPPOSE ALL DRAFT MODEL POLICIES

I STRONGLY OPPOSE every single one of the model policies drafted for the treatment of transgender students in the public school systems of Virginia. "Parents who encourage their children to embrace their God-given sex will be at risk of being reported for child abuse or neglect." This is unthinkable. God gave these children to their parents to bring them up according to HIs word. " A gender-neutral dress code will permit boys to wear skirts, and girls to go topless in activities where boys can do so, such as swimming activities or team activities (Draft Policy, p.16)."  This is disgusting, and yet our school systems have filtering systems in place on student technology devices to prevent them from seeing pornographic material? "The current state administration is committed to subjecting parents, families and teachers who resist the transgender policies to investigation, criminal charges, loss of job and perhaps more." This is really frightening. What is our world coming to? All of this is wrong. Wrong. WRONG. Please pray fervently and rethink.


Strongly support!

Way overdue.


Strongly Support

Protect the rights of trans people and their ability to experience a safe school environment.


Ignores “peer contagion”

Nothing in these proposed regulations address the immature behavior of students. Human nature being what it is, children test boundaries in their journey to becoming adults. Oppositional behavior to people in power is common, as is the disproportional influence of peers to children as they go through puberty. There is a phenomenon known as peer contagion which causes children to be influenced by the impact of a member of their peer group. These regulations will provide a positive response from teachers and administrators, bringing attention to the new “outlier” who declares to be gay/transgender/agender and forces the people of power to bend to their will by calling them whatever pronoun they choose. This is an attractive proposition for young, impressionable children, particularly if they are feeling unnoticed and/or powerless. Children and adolescents are smart, though. Once they see how the administration is required to respond, they will begin testing the boundaries. Frivolous declarations will be common, boys will make declarations just to get into girls’ restrooms and locker rooms, or to join girls’ sports teams. This will not end well.


Strongly support.

Putting gender aside, EVERY student deserves the right to a safe environment at school. Now put gender back in it. It is no secret that transgender youth face discrimination. They definitely are deserving of legislations and policies that protect them.


Vote no!

Absolutely no! Not for the schools to decide!


Transgender

Oppose


Transgender students in bathrooms

If a student is chromosomally a male or chromosomally a female, they have no business being in the restroom or locker room designated for the other chromosomal gender. It's very simple. This is an issue of physical and psychological safety for all.


Highly Support

As a Southerner (though not currently in the South), a trans person, a public school parent, and a teacher, I am heartened by this well-researched, evidence-based plan. Thank you for valuing trans youth!


Strongly support!

This document makes a lot of sense. I appreciate that the definitions were laid out in an easy to understand way. Also the section on harassment is really important because that is absolutely a major problem.


Utterly OPPOSED. It would be most egregious to impose these on our children.

Please do not enact these regulations. These regulations will severely hurt families. It is a tremendous overreach of authority and would be detrimental to Virginia children, families, teachers, guidance counselors and social workers.


I STRONGLY SUPPORT. Trans rights are human rights. Any public school receiving federal funding has a responsibility to ensure a safe, equitable experience for all students.


Opposed!

This should not be allowed. No question. Especially in elementary school. How can a child make a decision about gender identity that young? A child can only go into a bathroom that corresponds to their gender on their birth certificate. Period.


Strongly Support

This is absolutely necessary to moving forward with school policies that support trans students.


Charley Burton,  Black Transmen Inc, Diversity in Recovery

Strongly Support!

ALL students should be free to be themselves. Schools need to allow students to be free and safe to be themselves. What do you want a teen dead by suicide because their learning environment is not safe or alive and happy to be who they truly need to be?


Strongly Support

I strongly support this policy. I think it will help trans kids, and help with things like depression, self-harm, and their school performance.


Strongly oppose!

This is a disaster waiting to happen! Boys and girls in the same showers/ dressing rooms! This is wrong on so many levels!


opposed due to danger posed to both sides

I would like you to vote to oppose allowing transgender youth to use the bathroom/locker room of the opposite of their biological sex.  This policy ignores the safety and concerns of young women, and it may possibly keep them from participating in sports or even attending public school.  It also ignores the well-being of the transgender male identifying as female, who may have false allegations made about their behavior. Thank you for your time.


Completely opposed!

This is so dangerous. Students can go in whichever restroom or locker room they want? How are students supposed to feel safe when they are undressing not knowing who might walk in the locker room? I feel for people who are genuinely struggling with gender identity, but you are opening this up to let anyone go in even if they are not struggling with gender identity because you will be unable to question the sincerity of their actions. There are so many more things wrong with these policies. Forcing everyone to comply, not allowing for religious exemptions, no parent notification, etc Please do not subject innocent children to this.


Transgender  treatment of students policy

strongly opposed


VDOE proposed policies on the treatment of transgender students.

VDOE's proposed policies on the treatment of transgender students is nonsensical. It will bring hurtfulness to children and their parents.


I support this policy

I support this policy.


Strongly Opposed

We cannot sacrifice the livelihood of innocent children and school staff for the sake of potential happiness of a select few transgender children. This is just another big government solution that implements rules and punishment to force people to do what they want. We should be talking about teaching inclusion and informing parents on the terrible ramifications of encouraging kids to lean into transgender territory. The ideas being put forward are evil and can truly disrupt the lives of many of our innocent children for the sake of a very small few. We are a charitable people and can show compassion for transgender children on our own accord. We don’t need big government and power hungry teacher unions to dictate how that charity is implemented and makes it to transgender children. The policies being put forward are nothing but identity politics that will be used to further divide our state and disrupt the family, the core unit of America.


Treatment of transgender student policy

opposed!


Support.

I'm in strong support of this measure. Transgender kids have to face enough hardships. It's way past time to grant them protection and equality. And it's so frustrating to see this treated as a political matter. I'd guess most of the people who strongly oppose this measure don't actually know (or don't think they know) any transgender people. Let transgender people use the bathroom that matches their gender!


Strongly Oppose


Erin Mahone, The If You Could See Me Project

SUPPORT TRANSGENDER STUDENTS

Transgender students deserve to be affirmed and protected as all students do. They deserve to work toward their potential in environments that are safe, supportive and non-threatening.


Strongly Support

I strongly support protections of all Transgendered persons - especially our youth in schools. Having protections in place is a moral imperative. Thank you.


Strongly opposed!

Strongly opposed!


Strongly support !! Trans rights are human rights !!

Trans people are people too !! They should have the right to feel safe, loved, and welcomed, not pushed away because of who they are. Trans people should not still have to fight for their rights, please, support them !!


Strongly oppose

Strongly oppose parents should always be notified about their children. The schools will have children that are not transgender taking advantage of this.


Fully support -- trans rights are human rights, and this is about survival

This is not only about education, but survival. The strongest factor in ensuring the survival of LGBTQ+ children and adults is having a SAFE and AFFIRMING environment. We lose so many trans people -- to bullying, harassment, violence, suicide -- and so much of that begins in schools. Applying non-discrimination policies to make sure that trans students are not harassed, attacked, and otherwise have to go every single day to an unsafe and hostile environment, should be an obvious policy. But the exact same arguments against this are the same ones I heard in the 80s and 90s that justified discriminating against gay and lesbian students, only repackaged to apply to trans students. We've seen the harmful effects of anti-gay discrimination versus the benefits of making such bigotry unacceptable in our institutions. We cannot keep repeating the same mistakes. Students deserve to know about trans issues and trans rights. Trans students deserve to have their rights respected and to be able to go to an institution that is safe, not one hostile to their very existence. That starts with making sure discrimination against trans students, just like all discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation, is not given official sanction in schools.


transgender policy

I am strongly opposed to this policy. I believe that God created male and female. There is no other gender. I don't think that transgender children should be abused but helped. This policy will not help any of our children.


Full support

This is really great! Nurturing kids academic and personal/emotional lives is so important! Way to be on the right side of history!


Strongly support!!!!!!!

Trans rights is human rights.


Oppose

As an elementary educator I strongly oppose this legislation. These decisions should be made by families and on a case by case situation. Taking out gender pronouns is ridiculous and too much for younger children.


Strongly oppose / transgender policy

Strongly oppose! This can quite possibly create more rape/mistreatment of all children regardless of how they see themselves. Leaving parents out of the loop is part of what's wrong with the world today. Let each child be who they are but don't force everyone else to bend over backwards to accommodate them and how they feel. What if a child identified their self as Freddy Krueger? Would it be ok for that child to go around acting out as Freddy Krueger? Where does it end?


Strongly oppose

As someone who works in the public schools, I tell you now-the number of lawsuits against the state will significantly rise b/c of this legislation. Teachers do not staff public student bathrooms, and obviously-there are no cameras due to privacy. The amount of sexual harassment that will play out, should this legislation pass, will be horrific.


Maria Keffler, Arlington Parent Coalition & Partners for Ethical Care

Hard NO Re. Statewide Transgender Students Policy

If this policy is adopted by the state of Virginia, then the state of Virginia will be endorsing, protecting, and participating in child abuse. This policy is boilerplated from GLSEN's Model School District Policy ( https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN-Model-School-District-Policy-Transgender-Gender-Nonconforming-Students.pdf ), which special-interest activists, with a financial and political interest in furthering one minority's priorities over the rights and protections of everyone else, are pushing into schools via bullying, manipulation, and deception. GLSEN's Model School District Policy offers exactly three citations of "research support" for its unethical, unsound, and unsafe mandates. Two of these references are based solely on small-sample, self-selected surveys, rather than data gathered from robust research. Furthermore, two of GLSEN's three references originated with GLSEN . This smacks boldly of the same strategy utilized by tobacco companies, wherein they hired "researchers" to study the effects of nicotine, then announced that nicotine is not harmful. The contracted "researchers" were told ahead of time what results Big Tobacco wanted, and these hired hands complied. We know now that the entire "study" was nothing but a well-financed lie. GLSEN is operating from the very same playbook. There is no robust research to support the so-called "Affirmation-Only" response to gender-confused children. There is no valid, adequate research to support claims that gender-confused children will commit suicide if they are not affirmed in their delusions. The "study" that is cited to support this spurious assertion makes a great number of quantitative and assumptive errors ( https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/09/18/new-study-on-transgender-teen-suicide-doesnt-prove-kids-need-gender-transition-therapy/ ). Even the World Professional Association on Transgender Health indicates on p. 11 of their Standards of Care document ( https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/SOC%20v7/Standards%20of%20Care%20V7%20-%202011%20WPATH.pdf?_t=1605186324 ) that 77-94% of children will align with their birth sex if allowed to pass through puberty naturally (without puberty blockers, wrong-sex hormones, or surgery). If the organization considered the be the leader in transgender health care does not encourage the social or medical transition of pre-pubescent children, why would anyone else do so? Why would the state of Virginia, and school districts throughout the commonwealth, put into place policies that encourage children to attempt to transition to a different sex? Why would teachers, counselors, and administrators be encouraged to lie to children's parents, as these policies blatantly do? These policies, already being enacted in school districts around the country, defy the Family Education Rights & Protection Act (FERPA), which affirms parents' rights to know everything about their children that the school knows. By what possible legal standard, then, do organizations like the American School Counselor Association tell school counselors "When contacting the parent/guardian of a transgender or gender-nonconforming student, school staff should use the student’s legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student’s assigned sex at birth, unless the student or parent/guardian has specified otherwise." ( https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Transgender-Gender-noncon )? This statement puts all of the authority for a child's wellbeing into the hands of the child and the counselor, because the parents cannot know about their child's alternate gender-identity unless the child has authorized the counselor and school to reveal it. At what age is a child ready to assume such responsibility for him or herself? The age of majority in the United States is 18. According to FERPA the parents have authority over the child's school records until s/he turns 18. How does the state of Virginia rationalize overturning FERPA in this matter? This policy flies in the face of parental rights, and gives the school greater authority over children than the parents have. This policy undermines Title IX, granting girls the right to same-sex spaces and same-sex competition in sports. How will the state determine who is transgender? What is the litmus test or standard for that? This policy makes self-identification the only standard. In Utah this week a boy entered the girls bathroom at school and told a girl that was uncomfortable with his presence that he's a girl now. He wasn't and he isn't. ( https://www.partnersforethicalcare.com/post/but-this-never-happens-happens-all-the-time) Here are more questions I have about this policy. Until each of these can be answered in a way that insures that protections and rights of every student will be addressed and protected, this policy should be torn up and thrown away: 1. What is a transgender student? How is a transgender student identified? Is a transgender student someone who has begun to transition medically? hormonally? socially? Can someone be labeled "transgender" simply by self-identifying as such? Who diagnoses a student as transgender? Is it the student, or a teacher, counselor, or other staff member? If a student can self-diagnose for gender identity, can a student also self-diagnose other conditions, such as dyslexia, autism, trans-racial identity, Tourrettes Syndrome, or PTSD? 2. What is a gender-neutral bathroom? Is it a room that has had the male/female signs removed? Is it a single-user bathroom? Is it a bathroom with stall walls floor to ceiling? How will bathrooms be brought into compliance with gender-neutral status? What is the budget for that? If single-user bathrooms are stigmatizing to transgender students why would they not also be stigmatizing to non-transgender students? Why is it acceptable to ask a non-transgender student to use a single-user bathroom if it is NOT acceptable to ask a transgender student to use it? 3. What is a gender-neutral dress code? Can girls still wear skirts or dresses? Can boys wear them? What about for swimwear for swimming units? If boys are allowed to be bare-chested, will girls also be allowed (required?) to be bare-chested? Or will both boys and girls be required to cover their chests? 4. Who is the final authority on which students room together on overnight trips? Is it the students? The parents? The school? Who is liable if something happens to a student who is rooming with students of the opposite sex? If a girl is assaulted or raped, who will be held responsible for that? 5. If the school has the right to decide what parents know about their children's sexuality or gender, is the school then responsible for that student's health and well-being? If a child harms him- or herself, or commits suicide, and it is discovered that the school withheld information from the child's parents about that child's mental and/or physical health, will the school be held responsible for that child's illness and/or death? 6. With respect to sports teams and girls' protected spaces, how does this policy NOT violate Title IX mandates? Although legislators are wrestling with whether or not to change "biological sex" to "gender identity", Title IX still holds that differences exist between the biological sexes. Doesn't this policy, which allows biological boys access to girls' spaces and sports teams, violate federal law and the Dillon rule in this case? 7. With respect to pronouns, and given the fact that transgender activists now claim that there are infinite pronoun options (and in fact, people can invent their own pronouns at will) how will teachers be expected to remember the preferred pronouns (and all those pronouns' conjugations) for up to 30 different students in each class? What will be the consequence to the teacher for making an error? What will be the procedure for ensuring that teachers have clearly received adequate communication about students' new pronouns? What recourse will a teacher have if s/he is, for example, first told that a student wants to be called "they/them/themselves" but at a later date the student changes to "ze/zir/zirin", but does not inform the teacher of the change? What if the student claims to have informed the teacher, but the teacher claims not to have been informed? How will that conflict be resolved? 8. Returning to the question of self-identity, if a student can change his or her gender of record at will, can a student also change his or her ethnic/race status at will? Why or why not? How will accurate demographic data be maintained if a student changes from one gender to another mid-year? What will be the procedure for tracking students across years if names and/or genders are changed? 9. Who will designate the consequences and/or repercussions against staff or students who fail to comply with this PIP's mandates? How will breaches of compliance be identified? What will be the criteria for determining whether a breach is an accident or an example of harassment, such as when the wrong pronoun is used? Who will have the authority to carry out consequences for failure to comply? Rethink this policy and your reasons for suggesting it. This policy is nothing but a disaster for children and families.


Supporting Transgender Students is Vital

As a school employee in Virginia, I recognize the difficulty trans students face in school each day. Transgender students deserve to have their education protected and to be treated with equal respect. It is our job to make sure that when a student walks into school each day their main priority is to learn and grow. Every day that Virginia fails to protect and encourage transgender students is a day when Virginia fails to provide high-quality, cutting edge education to all. In order to serve our future, we must serve our students - and that INCLUDES our transgender students. I strongly encourage the state of Virginia to take all necessary steps to provide transgender students the education and protections they need and deserve.


Oppose - strongly

strongly oppose, major safety issues


strongly oppose

We strongly oppose the draft ideas in this bill.  Growing girls especially need privacy but even boys often prefer their privacy.  Biological boys no matter what they think their gender is or what they want their gender to be should NOT be allowed in a girls locker room or bathroom.  I predict this will drive a number of parents to withdraw their children from our public schools.


STRONGLY SUPPORT PROTECTION FOR TRANS CHILDREN

Trans children are much more likely to experience harassment, bullying, sexual assault, and assault than their peers. Please help protect children that are simply trying to live a happy, authentic life. You do not need to understand to have caring and respect for someone.


Support

I support the guidance. Trans rights are human rights.


Strongly oppose.

Strongly oppose this.


Support, Protect and Uplift Trans Students

I strongly support this well-researched, evidence based proposal. Public education systems are entrusted to with responsibility to serve all of their students and provide responsive, inclusive, and safe learning environments. Uphold and step into this responsibility every second, everyday, every week, every month every year. Policies that actively support transgender students are positively associated with higher rates of school attendance, higher academic achievement, and improvements in both mental and physical health. There is clear research backing the fact that this policy would protect previously vulnerable students and create safer, more inclusive learning environments.


Strongly Oppose

This proposal undercuts open and honest conversation between parents and their children. It also hinders parents from active involvement in the life of their child at school. The proposed guidance document violates the presumption of parental autonomy in Virginia. Code Sec. 1-240.1 provides that a parent has the fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education and care of the parent’s child. The proposed regulations provide no accommodations for students and teachers whose sincerely and deeply held religious beliefs and understanding of gender and human sexuality are not in accord with the views underlying the proposed policies. Protect the privacy and human rights of all students by keeping boys out of girls' locker rooms and protect their God-given identity. There will be no way to protect students under those new policies. They will have a "right" to enter any restroom or locker room they choose. It will be impossible to protect the innocence of students. Let gender questions be handled by parents, not the school system. Stop confusing the majority of students.


Strongly support

I strongly support.


Strongly Oppose!!

Strongly Oppose!!


Strongly Oppose

This bill should not go through just on the act of denying parents on information of their own kids.


NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

Oppose!!


Support, support, support!

I strongly support this proposal. It is clear that it has been well-researched and comprehensively written. Proposals such as this one, that support transgender students, are absolutely necessary in all public education systems. Public education systems have a role in our society of keeping students safe, and this proposal will be a stepping stone to accomplishing that. ALL students deserve to feel safe, included, and welcomed into our public schools. By creating an inclusive learning environment, we can work to accomplish that.


Strongly Appose

While I understand that this is trying to be helpful I believe it would end up making things worse and harder for children to know who they are.


STRONGLY SUPPORT - Protect trans kids !

We need to support trans kids - all of our kids deserve love, support, and care, no matter what - for being exactly who they are. Discrimination is WRONG, discrimination is HARMFUL, for everyone. By supporting trans kids we are supporting everybody - supporting trans kids does NOT harm anyone, supporting trans kids does NOT exclude anyone, strongly and loudly supporting trans kids is an act of love, warmth, care, and community. We love you!


In strong support of this!!!

I am so glad to see Virginia making an effort to treat trans and non-binary students with the same respect afforded to cisgender students. I see absolutely no reason why students should not be given the respect of being called by the names and pronouns they want to be called by--calling a trans kid by their chosen name instead of their deadname is no different than calling a kid named Michael by Mike if that's what they prefer...except that in the case of the trans kid, it will significantly impact their mental health to not be constantly treated as though they are not worth that respect. As for providing trans and non-binary students with a place to feel comfortable changing clothes and using the bathroom, I do not understand the problem that people have with this. It literally impacts no one but the student to offer a gender-neutral space where they can feel comfortable taking care of private matters, and for those people so concerned with trans students using the bathrooms or locker room they feel most comfortable in, I would like to know why their cisgender students' comfort rates more thought and respect than the comfort of the trans students. If they have such concerns about their cis daughters having "a boy" in the locker room with them, how do they think a trans girl is going to feel being stuck in a locker room with a bunch of boys? I guarantee these students all just want to use the bathroom/get into their gym uniforms in peace, and providing them with a neutral place to do so or allowing them to use the locker room where they will be most comfortable hurts no one. It's so important for kids to grow up feeling accepted for who they are, and to see others who are not like them as being people deserving of respect and kindness. We hear all the time about teen suicide rates, etc., and taking even these tiny steps to make school a safer and more inclusive place will not only allow students to feel like they are not being ostracized or punished for being true to themselves, but will also teach others that different is not bad or wrong. We can't rely on parents to teach this all by themselves, because obviously there are a lot of parents out there who won't. Making schools a place where inclusivity and kindness are observable and practiced will help normalize being accepting of differences so that kids who don't have that modeled elsewhere in their lives will perhaps still be able to internalize that lesson.


I support trangender affirming policies in Virginia schools

I support transgender affirming policies in Virginia schools.


Support

I write in support of the Model Policies on the Treatment of Transgender Students, because I believe all students, including anyone who identifies in the Transgender/Gender Non-Comforming/Nonbinary (TGNCNB) community, should have equal access to education where they can thrive and reach their full potential. I am currently in my fourth year in college and I am part of the Executive Board in Spectrum, the LGBTQ+ organization at Christopher Newport University. I hold the positions of Historian and Events Chair in this group. I find it so vital for Virginia to have schools that are supportive and inclusive to transgender and nonbinary students, because to this day there are individuals in academic settings where they aren’t being respected to the best degree that they deserve. This proposed guidance would definitely make a difference to those who are students in the TGNCNB community because they deserve to belong in school and not have to consider going somewhere else just because someone discriminates and/or violates their identity. This proposed rule will make Virginia schools a better place to learn for transgender and nonbinary students, which creates a better learning environment for all. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring safe and welcoming schools for all Virginia students. Sincerely, EJ Mojica


Oppose 100%

I am 100% opposed to the transgender school policy that Virginia is trying to implement. There are multiple reasons why this should not become policy. 1.You cannot guarantee that my son or daughter will not be and or feel harassed, threatened or intimidated by these policies.  You are only trying to protect the "transgender" community. 2. What about my children? What about their rights?  What about their safety and protection?  My daughter will NOT be changing in front of a boy for PE class, & the same goes for my son (with a girl present). He will definitely NOT be using a urinal when a girl is present in the bathroom. How will you prevent a boy who is not transgender to enter the girls restroom or changing room?  What about a (non-transgender) girl that enters the boys bathroom and then claims that she was forced in by the boy & he touched her (which really didn't happen but because he's now dating her best friend she's mad and wants to hurt him).  I know these sound like silly scenarios, but have you thought about this?  Have you been around these kids?  Because I have, I worked for CPS and I've seen how kids can be manipulative, dishonest and have no regard for authority or rules. I can guarantee you that if a boy/girl enters a restroom/changing room where my daughter/son is, that they will be taking names and immediately leaving and reporting it to the administration. We in return will be filing criminal charges. 3. Cell phones are now allowed everywhere in schools.  How will you protect my children from boys/girls who will use this policy to gain access to locker rooms and restrooms in guise of being transgender so that they can take pictures and videos?  Yes, disciplinary actions can be taken, but as you know, pictures and videos on the internet are there forever.  This would be another lawsuit brought against the school, district and even VDOE for implementing this policy. 4. You think you can accuse my child of bullying or harassment and face disciplinary action for not calling a student by their "preferred pronoun"?  You are highly delusional.  If you think you can question and discipline my child regarding anything in this proposed policy, without my knowledge, you are highly delusional.  If you think I won't file charges against the school, district and VDOE regarding this practice, you are highly delusional. 5. You want the dress code to no longer state "skirt, camisole...) and instead it would state "clothing must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks and nipples are covered with opaque material" .  This demonstrates how out of touch you all are with reality and how the students behave in school.  You understand that changing the wording will allow students to wear very short skirts and tops, sheer tops, boxers, bathing suits, singlets and tank tops, just to name a few. Not only will it allow them to wear those but they will be able to show as much as they want as long as we don't see a nipple, penis, vagina or buttocks.   By changing this policy you are leaving teachers and administrators with absolutely NO grounds to discipline a child for a dress code violation because in reality, there is NO dress code to follow.  I used to be a substitute and a teacher's assistant CPS at a high school, I've already seen this and you haven't made it policy yet. This is discriminatory and should not become policy.


Thinking for the future of our country

I am STRONGLY opposed to this policy. It is wrong. Parents need to be in charge. If you do this,  you will regret it. It will not last long. This is a cruel policy toward parents. It will not accomplish what you imagine. From the beginning of the world,  parents have been in charge.


Protect Trans Kids. Full support.

One of my kids is trans, and a 9th grader in a Norfolk shogun School. At school they have been called every homophobic or transphobic slur you could imagine. They have been excluded by their peers in every conceivable way. As parents, we had no way of updating student records to correct name, pronouns, or gender before beginning classes each year (thankfully, most individual teachers have been very supportive in this regard.) Any resources to make school more accessible and safer for our students are appreciated, but action is needed to ensure that ALL students have a safe, constructive, and nurturing environment on the classroom. Some  (probably “well-meaning”) people in this conversation have voiced concerns about trans people assaulting others in bathrooms or somehow making schools less safe. There is NOT ONE documented incident of a trans person attempting to assault another person in a bathroom or locker room within the last decade. There are, however, countless examples of trans people being harassed, having their privacy invaded, being thrown out of establishments, or even being assaulted for the sake of this complete unfounded straw-man argument of transgender people assaulting others. It’s completely nonsensical and bogus. But the reality is that trans kids are significantly MORE likely to be assaulted, more likely to commit suicide, more likely to experience homelessness, and less likely to graduate high school and/or college than cis-students. We have to do more to deconstruct the institutional barriers we have long propped up against the LGBTQIA+ community.


Profound Support of Trans Youth and Trans Lives

This well-researched and evidence-based proposal is an essential work towards protecting young American lives. Public education systems have the responsibility of serving all of our students. To do this, they simply must provide responsive, inclusive, and safe learning environments. This kind of proposal is much needed, and frankly, overdue. Virginia, join your fellow state, Oregon, in establishing a strong base for student rights and care. Policies that actively support transgender students are associated with higher rates of school attendance, higher academic achievement, and improvements in both mental and physical health for our student population. These policies lift up learning for our communities and families, and protect young people from hate. This is an opportunity to aid in achieving peace and security for all American students. This work never ends, and Oregon continues to learn more and do more, just as Virginia can. As public entities serving our diverse communities, we should always act with the most vulnerable students in mind. This policy would protect previously vulnerable students and create safer, more inclusive learning environments. All students who have ever felt vulnerable can benefit from this work. Let's do it!


Support

Strongly support! Do not allow the bigots and transphobes to destroy this!


YES!!! Strongly support.

This is a very welcome change that is long overdue! No child should ever go to school afraid and subject to bullying, intimidation, trauma. Inclusivity, empathy, and respect are foundational principles we must instill in the younger generation. It’s time for the VA educational system to do what it can and is within its means to eliminate willful ignorance and hate among our communities.


Nope nope nope!!!

Forget about it.


Support student transgender policies in Virginia

I support positive trans-gender policies for Virginia students.  These kids need policies and procedures that support a healthy environment.  Kids need support and resources to be able to learn and grow.


Democrats - sodomizing children again... that's what these policies are about.


Strongly oppose

I strongly oppose this “transgender family” agenda in schools. This is the most ridiculous way to confuse children who are already figuring out their bodies. This, in no way, falls into the responsibility or even the right as a school system to introduce this to our children. Please stick to educating our children on the basics, not your personal, political agendas. It is the parents who are responsible for the mental health and well-being of their children. Introducing something like this is a swift way to get sued.


Strongly oppose!

When do we start protecting the people that practice traditional values!!! You want to protect transgender people then give them their own bathroom and locker room. I do not want someone of the opposite sex in my children’s bathroom/locker room


Strongly support!!! Protect trans kids.

Strongly support protection on trans children i public school. Everyone should feel safe and protected in an environment they are expected to learn in.


STRONG SUPPORT BABY!!

I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS BILL. People spout that “all lives matter”. If that’s the case, TRANS LIVES MATTER TOO


Totally OPPOSE this "model policy"

Very strongly oppose this gender policy.  No student should be bullied for any reason (including their claimed gender status), but the state is usurping the role of parents and family religious beliefs in pushing a "norm" that is not as widely accepted as the state claims.  Students under 16 are not of an age to determine that their "chosen" gender is different from their anatomy.  Teenage years are hard enough and indoctrinating children who have no gender confusion issues is wrong.  Forcing biologically opposite sex students into the same restrooms and locker rooms will cause problems for all students.  By trying to make one group comfortable you will make every sexually orientated group uncomfortable!


Strongly opposed.

This is absolutely ridiculous and has gone too far. There might be one or two transgender students in any county school at any given time. Are we really going to put ALL of the females at risk to make one person happy and comfortable. Or vise versa for a female in the males locker room. If there is a transgender that needs to change, why can’t they use the coaches office? This is a sad and pathetic that residents of Virginia even have to fight against something like this!


STRONGLY OPPOSE!!

In passing such new guidelines, we are endangering our children, taking rights from teachers AND from parents. Please, please do not allow these guidelines to make their way into our education. Children need love and guidance, and this is the exact opposite.


Strongly support, this will save lives

It is heartening to see the support for this and to see the community supporting gender non-conforming and trans youth. The simple act of calling someone by their preferred name is proven to lower suicide rates of trans teens, the group with the highest rates. Reducing mental stress and anguish of our students needs to be a priority of the community as a whole. It is much better to pass this, save lives, and upset a small minority than to placate the people it does not even impact. Thank you.


Strongly Support

I strongly support this policy. This policy does not infringe on the rights of those who do not identify as Transgender. There are parents claiming that this infringes on their ability to teach children what their families believe about sex and gender, it does not. All this policy does, is protect children who do identify as Transgender from harm. It provides a framework that states they cannot be discriminated against for identifying as Transgender. It states they can be identified by their desired gender in official records and by school officials. It states that they have the right to keep their medical history private and follow the dress code of the gender they identify with. It also allows them to use the school facilities of the gender they identify with. None of these policies infringe on your family's right to raise your children how you believe. None of these policies are about teaching your children what to believe. It is common sense that children should be protected from harm, transgender students have special needs that are not addressed by the current school policies. This policy will ensure that they will get that protection. There is no reason not to pass this policy and no reason to not support it.


Strongly support

Strongly SUPPORTING this decision.


AGREE

I strongly agree with treating people the same regardless of there sexual orientation or preference. Anything other than that goes against the constitution.


STRONGLY SUPPORT

To all the people who are saying they are opposed, Are you dumb? Are you brain dead? I already know the answer is yes to both of those questions but anyway...


Very much SUPPORT this

I very much SUPPORT this.


Must Absolutely Oppose - Please read

Children need to be protected from the activism of the normalcyof the transgender phenomenon to the realities of how non transgendered children will compete with transgendered children regarding sports, bathrooms/locker rooms, and personal protection. How many people feel comfortable with people of the opposite biological sex sharing bathrooms, locker rooms, and hotel rooms. How many predators may use these new liberties to prey upon innocent children.  How many biological boys will switch to a female gender identity to compete in girls’ sports and eliminate traditional female competition? Before creating permanent regulations, which will impact non transgendered students as well, there should be greater public information and debate about what is being proposed. Parents need to consider how their own children will be impacted in school and beyond with the bombardment of transgender indoctrination. I have worked with preteens and teens as a counselor for over 20 years and have seen a lightning rod rise in what appears to be gender confusion.  This was notmuch of an issue even 5-10 years ago. Why the rise?  Why are so many children unhappy with who they are?  I believe most of the students who want to transgender have had adverse childhood experiences that have negatively affected who they are, from divorce to rape. These are things that need to be looked at, not changing genders.  And this is not just male to female or female to male, there are a ridiculous number of 50 +, and growing, identities that sound like something from a science fiction novel.  I would suggest anyone who wants to understand what may be happening, from all perspectives, read Irreversible Damage.  One of the questions this book presents is: why are adolescent girls finding solace in the transgender movement when they identified with typical “girl” ways of being in their childhood years.  Why is this “fad” insidiously affecting our girls. What I have personally found from talking with students is their social status rises with new titles from bisexual to transgendered.  This feeling of importance increases endorphinsand produces a sense of well-being, but also forms a possible pathway to destruction.  Some people will say children have to transgender to keep them from suicidal ideation, but the reality is that they continue with depression and suicidal thoughts even through the process and beyond, because the core issue of their confusion is not being addressed.  And, why would any person be encouraged to take dangerous drugs and have surgeries on perfectly healthy body parts to try to find happiness. As a counselor and having the wisdom of life as a person in my 60’s, why aren’t we trying to help children find ways for their brains, feelings, and identities, to match their God given bodies, which are biologically either male or female – PERIOD!   The biological sex does not change over time, only strange distortions of themselves. Get to the root of the Transgender phenomenon, don’t cover it with hormones, surgeries and self-destructiveness.  Save our children – both transgendered confused and intact identity children!!!


Support

As a queer person who wasn’t out when I was in school due to fear of being bullied by other students/admin I strongly support this! LGBTQ+ children deserve to feel accepted and safe


Support

I strongly support this!!!


Support of New Policy

I am fully in support of the new policy to implement safer and better treatment of trans and non-binary students in schools. EVERY person, kid, human-- regardless of orientation or how they choose to identify themselves has the basic human right to feel safe while receiving an education. I am in support of HUMAN DECENCY, therefore, I am in support of this new policy. To those of you with hate in your heart spreading it on this forum, Godbless. Your willful ignorance is a disservice to the future of our children.


AGREE

Yes!


Please Oppose!

Please oppose this legislation.  This goes way beyond protection of children that are swayed into thinking they are a different gender at a young age.


STRONGLY SUPPORT.

STRONGLY SUPPORT.


Strongly support. This is a critical policy decision.

Revamp school policy re: trans kids, to support and protect our children as they return to in-person learning. These are fraught and pitched times, and we need to codify the legal and personal protections for trans youth.


Support and Protect Trans Youth

I strongly support this proposal. Discrimination and harassment of transgender students is unacceptable and it’s important to protect vulnerable populations, such as trans students. Having diversity in schools teaches acceptance of differences and hardships that others face. This policy would create a safer learning environment for these students who just want to be able to learn in a place they feel comfortable in. Schools are supposed to support their students in whatever way they want to express themselves. Schools should be a safe place for a student to learn about others and themselves.


Strongly disagree

I am very scared for my kid’s future. I strongly disagree with what they’re trying to do here!


AGREE

AGREE


Strongly Support! Trans kids deserve protection

I strongly support this proposal. It is based on quality research and comes from an educated point of view. Transgender kids should not have to go throughout life with their identity constantly erased. Policies that support trans kids are associated with higher rates of school attendance, higher academic achievement, and improvements in both mental and physical health. Protection for trans kids do not have to come at the expense of cisgender kids. Imbalanced power structures are what allow kids to be abused, not protections for vulnerable minorities. This policy would allow for a safer and more effective learning environment.


Strongly Oppose

This haphazard sexualization of our children does them real harm and violates their right to develop before and during the difficult time of adolescence.  This proposal should be rejected.


STOP PUSHING IMMORAL POLICIES

This policy is an abomination!  Beyond ridiculous that you would require (and hold responsible) students and employees to use incorrect, imprecise, and flagrantly false language to describe some with a psychological problem.  Tired of LIBERAL POLICIES designed to decay our society further and further.  Nothing correct or noble about it.  The reality is that you will push more and more conservative families out of public schools because you can't  help yourselves. You just have to force people to swallow your poison pills.  Secondly, there is NOTHING to be prideful about with anything related to LGBTQ.  These remain psychological problems for those individuals.  I'd prefer to demonstrate compassion for these individuals but it's difficult to do so when absolute lies and distortions are coming out of the woodwork; it's also difficult when these issues are forced on people who have legitimate moral objections to them.  I'm not jumping into a delusional person's fantasyland nor will I permit my kids to do so either.  I will never call them by what they elect to be called when it's against nature and reason.  To do so is actually HARMFUL AND NOT COMPASSIONATE.  It is not brave to "come out" as transgender; nothing "heroic" about it (another liberal lie).  Public Schools are failing for a number of reasons....this is simply another reason why they should be de-funded or money siphoned from them and given to legitimate school choice programs/vouchers.


Fully agree and support

Fully support and agree, all children must be protected.


transgender in schools

NO! NO! NO!  For the safety of all concerned, NO to locker room choices, NO to bathroom choices.  Not only is physical safety at risk, but so is privacy with cell phone cameras.  NO! NO! NO!  I believe all students should be treated with respect and courtesy.  I believe locker rooms should be monitored by same gender adults for safety of all, BUT regardless of sexual preferences, like physical sexes should share same facilities, or provide a 'family' bathroom where 1 at a time occupies for necessary needs.  Once again the needs of a few are risking the safety and comfort of the many.


Strongly Agree! Support Trans Youth!!!

We must support trans youth! The deserve all the love and support we can provide.


oppose ALL Pro Moral Decay

Children SHOULD NOT BE ENCOURAGED to consider living any or all Morally Spiritually CORRUPT lifestyles regarding sexuality. If they would choose such a lifestyle along with others that choice should be up to them to choose at the age of EIGHTEEN. Democrats.


School transgender policies - dangerous

We are going way too far with all this. As someone who personally knows TWO women who were sexually assaulted in restrooms (one in a school facility and one in a public park), I can’t begin to understand how we could ignore the inherent danger in these policies. How can a child know at a glance who is a danger to her, in time to run if needed? Answer- she can’t. Also, children aren’t just automatically ok with or mature enough to deal with biological differences. If we do this, we will be guilty of gross negligence toward our children’s safety, mental health, and stress levels in school environments. How can we possibly be even considering this?


Strongly support and agree

Strongly support and agree!


STRONGLY SUPPORT!!! PROTECT TRANS YOUTH!!

Strongly support! Protect trans youth!


Considerations to address

Page 20 of the document implies that parents would only be included in a " multi-disciplinary school team " if the parents are affirming of a non-cisgender identity. Even if they are not affirming, they should still be included in discussions with the school system about their child. Page 19 says “local school boards may need to review agreements and processes with community partners for any activities taking place on school grounds to ensure consistency in practices.” Does that mean a church would not be allowed to rent space in a school facility if they are not transgender-affirming? In the name of including non-cisgender students in sex-segregated activities and use of facilities with cisgender students (Pages 17-18), it is not clear that full consideration has been given to the cisgender students and the effects of these policies on their participation. For instance, if a biological male is changing clothes with biological females, what about the effects that has on the biological females? Having a few individual private areas does not sufficiently account for the effects on, for instance, the majority of young female middle school students having someone who is still biologically male in the same room while they are changing clothes. What about times in those circumstances when there is no adult supervision in the room such as when a teacher's role is being covered by a substitute teacher? The activity policies (Page 16) are being implemented in the name of inclusion, yet in many instances the net effect may result in excluding gender-based activities altogether. With regard to bullying (Pages 9-11), there are many of us who agree on principle that bullying is wrong and should not be allowed. The question is what constitutes bullying? My concern is does or could it include disagreeing with transgender ideas in general? If someone were to claim that what is called “cisgender” or “sex assigned at birth” is the only gender, would that count as bullying? It should not.


Strongly Support Trans Youth!

Strongly and absolutely support. Trans students deserve safe and engaging learning environments. Any person opposing this guidance is dangerous and transphobic. Statistics from a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender youth. The findings emphasize the urgency of building welcoming and safe communities for LGBTQ young people, particularly for transgender youth. This is about nothing more than providing support for the vulnerable students in our communities. These protections will help facilitate a positive and inviting learning environment for all students.


Strongly Support ... This is Basic Humanity 101, Folks

This guidance is simply the right thing to do. I work for a prominent Fortune 500 company and can say that as we have made steps to not only diversify our workplace, but celebrate our trans brothers and sisters daily. Since then, we've all grown exponentially as people and as a workforce. We ask and answer tough questions, because dialogue is learning ... and learning is a good thing, folks. We openly share our preferred pronouns regardless of our gender expression or identity. This is not political; this is human. I'm asking you to stay human.


model guidance for trans kids puts VA on wrong side of history

Parents across Virginia have fought guidance documents like these since 2015. "Guidance" that denies the reality of binary sex and the authority of parents over children fails to serve the vulnerable children it claims to help. Many youth who are "transitioned" before they are adults regret their "decisions" but are silenced. Schools should never come between children and parents by acting as guardians due to identity politics. The consequences of sterilizing children and committing them to irreversible damage and bodily harm will be severe. Let kids be kids -- don't force them to conform to adult political agendas. The LGBT, Inc (HRC/SPLC/ACLU, etc.) war against children and families harms all children and all families. Stand for science and reality by rejecting  this irresponsible "model guidance."


Strongly support

Support our trans community.


Please support trans and nonbinary students.

It is important that we establish ways to protect and respect those in our community that identify as LGBTQ+.


Strongly support

Protect trans youth for the well-being of our communities and their own development.


Strongly Support

I strongly. support this guidance document and feel it is a matter of life and death. The Trevor Project has done comprehensive studies show that LGBTQ youth are 40% less likely to commit suicide if they have one supportive adult in their life. Even more disturbing, they also found  that one episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. Training and equipping schools to be able to provide the support, resources, and protection for trans students will literally save lives. You are here to create supportive and safe environments for youth. That includes LGBT students.


Strongly OPPOSE!

I strongly OPPOSE this! There has to be a better way that will provide support for all children not just one group. Parents should be involved in anything to do with their child(ren). The school system should never have the ability to remove a parent's involvement from anything to do with their child(ren).


Support

I am writing in support of the Model Policies on the Treatment of Transgender Students, because I believe all students should have equal access to education where they can thrive and reach their full potential. As a non-binary student, I have lived experiences with discrimination in school settings and can confirm the importance of validation of your gender identity by educational institutions. We can only experience a positive learning environment when we are able to use our preferred names and pronouns and when this is respected by your peers and professors. GLSEN's 2019 National School Climate Survey shows that transgender and nonbinary students feel less safe at school and miss school more often because of feeling unsafe compared to their cisgender peers. Transgender and nonbinary students also report higher rates of victimization and discrimination than their peers, especially regarding respect for their names and pronouns and access to bathrooms and locker rooms. Transgender and nonbinary students should feel safe and included in their learning communities. No one deserves to be bullied, harassed, or discriminated against in their school, which is a place where they are supposed to be able to learn and be a part of a community that accepts them for who they are. Schools teach students how to succeed but they also teach students how to treat each other. This proposed rule will make Virginia schools a better place to learn for transgender and nonbinary students, which creates a better learning environment for all.  Thank you for your commitment to ensuring safe and welcoming schools for all Virginia students. Sincerely, Jules Onrubia


I reject

I vehemently reject this potential policy from being put into effect. Using children as pawns in order to push the left wing agenda forward is stomach turning. I strongly advise pulling your kids out of the VA public schools and demand your tax dollars be used to educate instead of dividing by gender. This is the only way to send a clear message!


Strongly Oppose

I strongly oppose this legislation!!  Of course these kids deserve compassion, however, the younger children need guidance, not more confusion!


Strongly support

As an educator and community worker I strongly support the idea of creating safe spaces and frameworks that allow young people to exist and express their truest selves. In decades of working in schools and with students that have struggled to express their identity I have seen first hand the value of allowing students the space and agency to be themselves.


A good start.

I strongly support this well-researched and evidence-based proposal. Public education systems are entrusted with the responsibility to serve all of our students and provide responsive, inclusive, and safe learning environments. Policies that actively support transgender students are associated with higher rates of school attendance, higher academic achievement, and improvements in both mental and physical health. As public entities entrusted with student safety, we should always act with the most vulnerable students in mind. This policy would protect previously vulnerable students and create safer, more inclusive learning environments.


support for trans and non binary youth safety

As a counselor, I am privy to numerous private conversations from LGBTQUIA youth who are in the process of  expressing their gender identity. These students are incredibly vulnerable and must be guaranteed safe spaces to come out when they want, to whom they want.  Their gender must be their identification and protocols must align with their identities.  Their names must be their vibrant,alive names versus dead names.  Their pronouns must be based upon individual choosing and this must be honored on public forms, in person, virtually and on licenses. Trans and nonbinary rights are human rights.  LGBTQIA youth are inherently some of the bravest, strongest and most tenacious humans I have encountered. They deserve respect, love and protection from those who would harm them.  I fully support all legal protections socio-emotional resources for all LGBTQIA youth.


Lovingly oppose. More compromise/thought is needed.

I appreciate the desire of trans kids to use their preferred bathroom inconspicuously. I agree they should be able to use the bathrooms they are most comfortable using. In fact, all kids deserve to feel safe and protected--and to actually be protected-- when in intimate proximity to other kids. And it is the school system's duty, no less, to safeguard ALL kids from physical and sexual harm. This legislation ensures that trans kids will use their bathroom (locker room, overnight hotel room, etc.) of choice, which is good, but renders teachers impotent to confront any individual who is not trans, who might knowingly, for predatory purposes, exploit the new, looser guidelines. As I understand these guidelines, a student does not have to make any credible case of transgenderism in order to gain entrance to any other facility: all that person needs to do is walk in. It shows a shocking lack of knowledge of the opportunistic way predators operate--indeed, of the way unformed adolescent brains operate-- to believe that all students will automatically approach this new laxity in good faith, especially when they know that teachers are impotent to stop them. Any teacher who attempts to question any youth for entering one of these facilities for any reason is to be punished. Think of the message this sends any individual tempted to flout the spirit and intent of this new law. The gender-based separation of bathrooms, up to now, has afforded school systems the benefit of a built-in automatic, noninvasive obstacle/deterrent against potential sexual predation/mischief--one that was easy to enforce if violated. Obviously, this system was not sufficient to protect all students--notably trans students, so a solution needed to be sought. However, when we remove ALL differentiated designation from these areas, there needs to be some other, more intentional, safeguard effected to take its place--not a total renunciation of any vigilance. Involving some sort of process, analogous to an IEP, perhaps, would at least somewhat help answer the concerns of parents and students. I'm not sure exactly how this process could then be used to discreetly grant access to particular students, but it seems it should possible to find a way to enable teachers to find out privately whether a student in a certain bathroom should or should not be there, without that teacher having to question the student face-to-face. Also, allow schools to include bathrooms and locker rooms similar to those at rec centers in our area--similar to the "family" bathrooms--which are smaller and more private (and more desirable, let's face it), and can be used by anyone, but their priority is to be used in situations outside the usual split between genders. Anyone can have access to them, which removes stigma from their use by particular individuals. Students should be encouraged only to use them in emergency situations, if at all possible, to ensure that they remain available to those who need them most. The other traditionally designated bathrooms could still be there. My other objections to these new guidelines have to do with the heavy-handedness with which teachers and students are being compelled to conform to them. While I realize these measures are motivated by sincere compassion for those with gender dysphoria, and a desire to shield them from anxiety and harm, including self-harm--which are noble and loving reasons--1. I have doubts in the theory in which they are based (much more [unbiased] research needs to be done), 2. I do not know for a fact that they are truly helpful to the trans person, and 3. I object to the draconian methods that are being sought to enforce them. I can agree with the sentiment, "I understand you are having trouble feeling you are the gender that matches with your anatomy; I am terribly sorry that you are feeling grief and pain over this situation. I wish there was some way I could help." [Note: I'm not saying that I would actually address someone openly using these words.] That is a compassionate stance. But the legislation pushes us all to make the leap to: "Therefore, I believe you are the gender you desire to be," which is what we are saying when we use a preferred pronoun. This is a huge leap. My conscience grieves me when I do this, because it disconnects my words from the truth of what I believe. That disconnect is the very definition of lying. Policy that is based upon deception is bad policy.  I deeply wish to avoid further deceiving someone with gender dysphoria. Not because I hate, but because I care, and I can't help but wonder if this is a bandaid solution for a problem with a deeper root cause. I understand that the situation calls for delicacy and that feelings of the students involved can be fragile, but there must be a way that can be found in which all parties can feel comfortable. I don't pretend to be an expert in what works, but I don't believe an acceptable solution has been reached with this legislation. If only a compromise could be found in which a teacher (or student) could choose to use only gender-neutral pronouns and avoid the use of first names in class when referring to all students. This way, he/she could avoid singling out any transgender student as different while preserving his/her own personal integrity and religious beliefs (e.g., that God gives us our gender identity, and that it is good). Alas, there was recently a case in Fairfax County in which a teacher attempted just this measure as a compromise, and the upshot was, he was fired. I feel that there should be some leeway--some openness to compromise, without zero tolerance policies. All parties deserve to be comfortable. Teachers should not be required, as they are with this legislation, to lie to parents. It literally calls for a plan that "may include [teachers] addressing the student at school with their asserted name and pronoun while using the legal name and pronoun associated with the sex assigned at birth when communicating with parents or guardians." Deception, in summary, starts with lying to oneself, lying to one's classmate or student; and continues with lying to a student's parent, or facing disciplinary measures. The mention of bringing Child Protective Services into the home of transgendered students to deal with parents who may be suspected of "abuse" [read: lack of preferred pronouns?], could push this even into homes. It is an overreach of power. It engenders a sense of distrust in the school system. It smacks of "newspeak." And it will cause more, not less, pushback from opponents as they feel unheard and threatened, which, in turn, will cause more problems for transgendered students, not fewer.


Agree wholeheartedly

What does it cost anyone to treat others with respect??? even if you don’t agree.


Strongly support Trans Youth

Virginia must be a place where all youth thrive in our schools. Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. We must protect our most vulnerable students.  I strongly support this legislation.


Support Trans students

By supporting trans students we are able to show them what acceptance look like as well as support them in processing a very difficult time in their life. We are able to also lead other students in accepting those who identify outside of what they may consider to be normal. Being a student is hard enough without also having to worry about if they feel safe, accepted, in a space in which they can fully express themselves.


Science says two genders - male and female alone

Gender is a physical based property that can be scientifically substantiated. Science allows for only two genders; male and female. Though physical characterizations can be changed, it does not change the fundamental DNA of that individual. If we allow emotion to take precedent over fact then what is next? Should children be allowed to be dogs, cats, etc? Scientific based fundamentals need not be overwritten by emotion, let facts and science stand. Vote no to transgender emotion and work instead get support and assistance for the people that need assistance to combats their issues. Do not add fuel to their physical and mental illness.


Support Trans Inclusion Model Policies

As a parent of two middle school students who attend Virginia public schools, one a cisgender girl and one a cisgender boy, I fully support the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia's Public Schools. School should be a safe, nurturing, and welcoming space for ALL students - especially those students who are most at-risk and marginalized like trans students. Schools that are inclusive for trans and nonbinary students are more inclusive for cisgender students as well. Trans students do not pose a danger to cisgender students; in fact, trans students are more likely to be the victims of abuse and misconduct. Allowing trans students to participate in the PE class that matches their lived identity, participate on sports teams that match their lived identity, and use restrooms that match their lived identity takes nothing away from cisgender students. I fully recognize that schools must make policies that balance the needs and freedoms of all students - however, those decisions should never come at the cost of student health and wellbeing. The suicide rate among trans youth is staggering. School is the only safe space that some students have, especially if their family is not supportive of their gender identity. They deserve safe, affirming, and supportive school experiences. The Model Policies help schools accomplish that, and take nothing away from the needs and experiences of cisgender children like mine. In fact, I want my children to learn and interact with peers who are able to live as their true authentic selves.


Support

I support the guidance


Strongly Support

It is critical we support this timely policy to protect the civil and human rights of tans students, especially as we move back to in-person learning over the coming months.


Strongly support!

As a transgender student myself, I strongly support this because this bill allows me to be fully myself and to not be forced to go into a restrooms or locker room that doesn't define who I am, causing depression which affects my education. To the people who object this, I am NOT trans as a choice. This is who I am and I have been a girl since before I could talk. The only issues I have came from years of hiding my true identity and pretending to be a boy ehen I am really a girl, which caused me to become severely depressed and nearly commit suicide. I am much happier now as my real self, and I can now function as a contributing citizen for the first time in my life. Being transgender is NOT an agenda, choice, sin or anything else. It is just like being black or white...everyone is different. With a little bit of education on the topic from trans organizations you will see that it has been not only scientifically proven to not be a choice but allowing us to be our real selves lets us be happy, productive citizens who don't go around wanting to kill themselves on a daily basis. Plus, no sex offender or pedophile is gonna pretend to be the opposite sex just so they can pray on someone. They will simply go in as themselves. Seriously, this is 2021 and transphobia is not okay anymore and should not be accepted. All I want is to be me. I'm not worried about anyone's genitals in the bathroom or locker room, all I want to do is to do my business and leave, comfortably. Please pass this bill for not just me but the other student's mental health and lives. Because this does and WILL save innocent lives from suicide.


Doctor of Education SUPPORTS OUR TRANS CHILDREN

Our trans kids are CHILDREN and need our protection. Even seeing people oppose their human rights is harmful and leaves a scar. Treat all children as deserving of protection under the law. Don’t let misplaced “morality” guide you to harm the least among us. Don’t allow your unwillingness to understand others guide you to hurt children. Be kind. Make our world more peaceful.


Strongly support!!!

I strongly support this bill. I wish trans rights had been taught when I went to school. Being a teen in school is rough but the bullying, sexism, racism, and homophobia and transphobia make it astronomically harder. Students deserve to feel included and equal and it really should not be much more than that. Please consider the kid sitting in the back of the class feeling like he/she is lesser when thinking of this bill. I am proud to be in a state where this bill is on the table and I will be prouder to see it pass.


OPPOSE!

I cannot support this. Confusing our children is spiritually, morally, and biologically wrong. I cannot believe this legislation is even being considered. Very disappointed with the leadership of the Virginia common wealth!


Please support non binary students

please support non binary students


Strongly Support

I strongly support this proposition to support and protect transgender students. Research suggests that inclusive school policies for LGBT youth is associated with less truancy for ALL youth and higher grades for transgender youth (Day et al., 2019). Research also suggests that transgender students in schools with supportive policies feel greater belonging to their school communities (Kosciw et al., 2018). This proposition will benefit ALL students. References: Day, J. K., Ioverno, S., & Russell, S. T. (2019). Safe and supportive schools for LGBT youth: Addressing educational inequities through inclusive policies and practices. Journal of school psychology , 74 , 29-43. Kosciw, et al. “The 2017 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools.” 2018. GLSEN.


Strongly approve. Trans rights are human rights. Protect trans kids.

I agree with the proposed policies. We should always strive to make our society as inclusive as possible.


Protect and support our trans students

Studies have shown time and time again the harassment our trans youth (and later adults) endure for simply existing. Any support and resources that we can give to these students to make their life even the tiniest better is a huge step in the right direction. We need protections for these students and to support their identities. Claims of bathroom harassment or any other “advantages” these students might gain are simply false and have been disproven time and time again. Let’s continue to strive to make schools a safe place for all students, and strive for a diversity and acceptance where students will feel like less than an “other” and realize they are accepted exactly the way they are. Support trans kids.


Statewide Transgender Policy

VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED!!!


strongly oppose as it stands

I oppose this as it stands.  I think parents should be involved in everything that effects their child.  The state should not have ultimate power over someone's child.


Why are we putting more on our teachers

First, I want to say everyone has the right to be who they want. With that being said why are we giving more control to the kids and more jobs on the teachers today? Is there not enough going on that we shouldn’t shove something else down their throats. Also, let’s talk about the amount of sexual abuse that happens in our schools. You are opening up the door for an astronomical amount of rapes to happen. Let’s not be naive, the bullying isn’t going to stop they administrators don’t do anything about it now. STOP giving control to our youth, parent and adults need to remain in control.


Why are we putting more on our teachers


STRONGLY SUPPORT

Discrimination based on someone’s gender identity is wrong and has to be stopped!!!


OPPOSE

I strongly oppose these measures.


SUPPORT OUR TRANS AND NB YOUTH!

ALL students deserve to feel safe, comfortable, and happy in their pursuit of an education in the Commonwealth. Anyone who is in opposition or feels that people would “abuse” this is downright ignorant and fails to understand how large of an impact this decision would make for trans youth. If your child is uncomfortable with this, it’s likely because they were raised in a close minded household.


Strongly Oppose this Bill; Strongly Support All Children

This policy violates children and parents with religious convictions and forces violation of conscience of which both are protected in our country’s and state’s constitutions. It imposes impossible expectations on children to adapt immediately to fluid pronouns and to be comfortable in vulnerable environments like bathrooms and locker rooms with those with different body parts. I don’t want any child to feel rejected or misunderstood, so current rules against bullying and harassment are valuable and sufficient. Anything more is prioritizing one people group over another and that is always detrimental to society. Our children need to learn to coexist with each other despite our differences. This policy weaponizes one preference over another. It will not protect our children nor benefit their development.


Strong Opposition

As a young woman who grew up in the Virginia public education system, I cannot express greater outrage at such a policy intended to infringe on biological female-only spaces (in particular, bathrooms and locker rooms). Not only does this display ignorance on the science concerning immutable biological sex, it subverts the will of the majority in deference to the issues of the few. There are intelligent ways to honor the dignity of transgender students AND protect girls—this measure is not one of them. I fiercely oppose this policy that has proven to endanger and violate girls/young women in every single instance that it has been enacted.


No Mob Mentality - Strongly Oppose!

This proposed guidance document overreaches the role of Government in the citizen's personal rights, freedoms and in the public square.  Mob mentality has taken a new turn in damaging our youth.  Implementation of this guidance would be a travesty to the Virginia family unit.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

All the proposals in this draft are extremely dangerous, ridiculous and unnecessary. Every student has basic human rights and you can't micromanage a certain special interest group's treatment to the detriment of all the other children. These are CHILDREN - still growing and developing and learning who they are.  DO NOT push them and put them into defined identities - DO YOUR JOB and teach them reading, writing, arithmetic!  There are too many under-educated young people in the work world today because schools have gotten away from their basic mission. Another point to be considered is, would you like some of these gender-confused students or their families to sue the schools, teachers, counselors, etc. that pushed them into a gender identity that they later rescind?  Suppose they mutilate their bodies, or worse yet, are driven to suicide?  Have you read about the lawsuit in Great Britain? This is an ugly can of worms that needs to be discarded.  Like I said before, schools need to return to their core mission.


This Should Be a Public Referendum!!  Let the People Decide!!! - Strong Oppose!!

Conducting such a controversial activity under the guise of a guidance document without public vote is nothing short of a deceit to your Virginia constituents - you know....the folks that voted you in and pay your salary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put it up for public vote!!


I fully support this guidance

I fully support this guidance and what it means for my students and their peers. My children are unaffected by sharing locker rooms and restrooms with trans and non-binary students. Their peers are also unaffected and not worried about this. This isn't an issue for the students, it is an excuse for adults to throw vitriolic statements at families of LGBTQ children. The truth is, and I suspect everyone involved with this process already knows, that our youth are in crisis. They are taking their own lives, dying by suicide in numbers that should alarm everyone. LGBTQ youth that are supported at home and school are 40% less likely to consider suicide than those who are not in supportive situations. This should be the basis from which we work forward. My children have lost friends that have died by suicide. We know many families that have children who have received inpatient care at pediatric mental health facilities due to overwhelming depression and anxiety. I have lost count of the students that have decided to home school or go to homebound education because their experiences at school have been so awful. All of these students identify as LGBTQ. It can't just be a coincidence. This guidance means more protection for youth. This guidance forces schools to adapt and educate their teachers and administrators about the challenges faced by our youth. This isn't going away. This isn't some fad or phase. We will either adapt or we will continue harming our children. I speak from experience, I speak from a place of knowledge and pain. I also have hope and continue to work for the best outcome for all LGBTQ students in Virginia.


STRONGLY OPPOSED!!!!!

In complete disagreement with these child destroying policies.


Strongly Oppose

I am very much in favor of treating every person with kindness, respect, and dignity. It is because of this that I oppose this initiative. It will only be by holding to the truth about the human body that flourishing of every individual can take place. Teaching children that they can chose their sex is a lie that has real and irreversible ramifications. Please don't deny biological truth. Look into the stories of all those who have tread this path only to find their bodies damaged, their fertility stolen, and their futures limited. They have regrets, scars, and powerful stories to tell.


STRONG SUPPORT

I strongly support this document. Trans youth need support from their schools.


I strongly oppose this policy.

The draft proposed transgender policy by the Virginia Department of Education is an outrageous theft of parental authority by the state.  It is an appalling ideological takeover by the state to force a view of human sexuality that does not permit acceptance of differing views held by parents or students. The proposed policy will not help kids acquire a healthy understanding of sexuality and how to properly and respectfully relate to one another.  Instead of negating confusion about gender, this policy will only generate confusion, not only about sex but will insinuate its unfounded and dangerous perspective into many areas of life. What is the real purpose of introducing such a hurtful idea of human sexuality to kids?  What is the Department of Education trying to achieve?  What is the hidden agenda of these public servants?  Public education should not be a source of danger to our kids, but it is definitely on that track.  Public school students are no longer being educated (i.e., taught skills and knowledge to prepare them to be responsible adults in the world); they are being indoctrinated into an ideology by those who deem themselves better qualified than parents or legal guardians who don’t subscribe to their way of thinking. As you might conclude, I am opposed to the proposed transgender policy.


Forcing administrations and other students to NOT harass, discriminate against, and harm students is not oppressive. Allowing trans women to use the correct restroom poses no threat to students. Do you really believe that a kid would socially transition just to get access to the "girls" locker room? Really? You're not a concerned parent, you're just a bigot.


Oppose

Another attack on the importance of the family dynamic. If parents want to encourage transgender identity and ideas with their kids, I am not one to decide for them. If I do not want my children to believe or participate in the transgender ideology, then no one, nor the State, should have the authority to decide what is best for my family or deny my right to believe in the religion of my choice. The State in no way would condone or include Christianity as "law" in the public school system. But they are choosing for families that the right to religious freedom is not as important as their beliefs. It is an obvious violation of the Constitution declaring I have a right to choose my religion. To label a person or parents as abusers for not encouraging the States views, is also a violation of my right to freedom of speech as an American.


Support of the the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) model policies

Negative behavior can impact a child and leave life long scars. Education is about getting ready to work and dealing with the reality that we are not all the same, each person has a different perspective and collectively the inclusive behavior is the BEST.


Strongly oppose

Strongly oppose


Strong support

I strongly support this guidance for two reasons. 1. Trans students deserve to be treated with dignity and equal access to education. 2. Many educators and school systems may not have modern understanding of the issues that trans students face and need to be learn how to create an environment that respects these childrens' rights.


Very Strongly Opposed

I am now in my 7th decade of life and very surprised that higher education has lost their God given common sense.  Wisdom and common sense can come with age as you observe cause and effect and see many ruined lives.  Some people look at the short term but I have seen what happens long term and many health professionals are waking up to the fact that wrong policies like this one have detrimental effects 10-15 years later.  The studies are just coming out and since they don't fit the popular narrative, people are being cancelled and having violence against them.  This policy is wrong and very detrimental to the health and well being of our precious children.  It also is detrimental to the families.  I strongly oppose this action! There are reasons why we don't allow children to make legally binding decisions that may hurt and impact them for life. We learned long ago that pornography was bad for the mental health of children.  This new policy is much worse! It would appear that this policy was designed by highly educated pedophiles.  Having much education does not mean you have gained common sense!  As with many ideas, there will be unintended consequences. Here is what I see happening if this is implemented: increased chaos in schools There will be fewer talented, caring teachers choosing to go into or stay in the Public school system. Schools will be forced to violate Parental rights Schools will be violating students safety and security (increase in sex abuse incidents) Parents who oppose pedophilia will now have to endorse it Those who are able and truly care about their children's mental health will pull their children out and find and alternative education like correspondence school, private school or home school. This policy will hinder rather than help children get a solid education that will prepare them for responsible adulthood. This policy should not be implemented! It is like a fad that has not been thoroughly researched for long term outcomes!


I support this guidance.

I support this guidance because I believe every child should feel free to be and express themselves in a safe environment in school.


Oppose for the safety of men, women, children and trans individuals

I am a mother of two children that will soon be starting school. I have not against transgender individuals, I believe it is none of my business what another human chooses to do with their life. However, my children's safety is my number 1 priority. I fear that if this becomes allowed for transgender women and men to go into bathrooms of their opposite biological gender there will be predators using this new law as a way to enter a bathroom to commit a crime. No I am not saying that actual transgender individuals will be committing these acts, but I do believe that this will be a huge gateway for predators to take advantage and enter men and women's bathrooms with the intent to harm women, men and children simply because now they are allowed to enter bathrooms of the opposite sex. I think a solution better suited would be a single stalled bathroom, like how some stores/restaurants have a family bathroom, to be able to be used for transgender individuals to keep everyone safe, including the transgender men and women.


Support as a Pediatrician and as a Parent

As a pediatrician and a mother, I strongly support this bill to provide support and protection for transgender and gender-diverse children and adolescents. This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) promotes inclusive care for this vulnerable population: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/4/e20182162


Strong Support

As a pediatrician who has worked closely with transgender and gender-diverse patients, I strongly support inclusive care for these children in our school. I will also cite the policy statement from American Academy of Pediatrics - a leader in care for children. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/4/e20182162


Oppose the policy

My biggest concern is for females students. As written, any biological male can declare as identifying as a female and enter female locker rooms and bathrooms at will? That is completely unacceptable. Young girls and women deserve to have their rights and their privacy protected.  They should never be placed in an environment where a biological male can enter and make them uncomfortable or put them in a potential position of something bad happening.  The unfortunate truth in this world is that people will take advantage of this policy in order to cause fear or harm.  I support transgenders having a space where they are comfortable, but not at the expense of everyone else.  There must be a better solution. Perhaps providing separate bathrooms or locker rooms, entered in a separate location from the other bathrooms and locker rooms, but afforded the same protections as far as bullying or targeting which will not be tolerated.


Strongly oppose

While I certainly agree that all children/people should be respected and treated fairly, I don't agree that the rights of the minority should supersede the rights of the majority.  My daughter should never be required or allowed to share a restroom or changing room with a biological male.  It's incredible to me that I would even need to voice this concern. Do any of people drafting this type of thing have kids?  Why would you even consider putting the school ahead of the parents.  Don't we have rights too? Teachers have a hard enough time dealing with kids.  Why in the world would you complicate their lives more with this pronoun issue?  Why would you create an environment that will increase the threat of litigation when schools can't even pay for school supplies needed in the classroom? If this plan is actually implemented I will have no choice but to pull my kids from public schools.  Like many in my shoes I'm already concerned that I pay property taxes towards school but have no choice in how/where those dollars are spent.  Policy as you propose here will certainly provide tremendous energy behind the movement for school vouchers.


Strongly oppose this--it's NOT science-based!

Gender is not a preference.  It is a matter of science--chromosomes determine whether you are a boy or a girl.  And there are only 2 genders--male & female.  These days you hear a lot about "follow the science."  Gender confusion is a mental problem that needs to be addressed, not encouraged.  You claim these policies are to help keep students "safe."  They are NOT keeping students safe who don't want to have their privacy invaded in personal spaces by members of the opposite sex.  They are NOT keeping students safe who need guidance and input from their parents about emotional problems they are having.