Experimental, pseudo science must not be inflicted on developing minds.

I strongly oppose the measure proposed to indoctrinate children with the scientifically unsound, cosmopolitan dogma du jour that is transgender ideology. Should Virginia schools adopt this measure it would have catastrophic effects on countless developing minds, the consequences of which would be felt for generations.


Appalled

this is absolutely disgusting. As a mother I am terrified to send my children anywhere that ppl think this is ok. There will be a rise in sexual assault and harassment going on. I can’t believe we are even discussing this.


STOP ABBUSE of INNOCENT CHILDREN ~ OPPOSE THIS!!!

I oppose this appalling promotion of a sexualized agenda and its attempt to undermine the right of parents to educate their children in matters of sexual truth . There are only 2 genders, MALE and FEMALE.   In the scientific world that is all there is as well!


Child Abuse

This proposed policy is child mental abuse.  To not tell them the truth about biology, is an assault on their real identity.  You CAN NOT change DNA.  For those of you who think you support women's rights, I will quote Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, "It's the height of hypocrisy for people who claim to champion the rights of women to deny the biological existence of women" and "it defies common sense. There is a biological distinction between men and women, boys and girls.  It defies basic science."


Parental Rights Should Not Be Easily Dismissed

Please do not force you ideology on parents and children. That is what was said to the Christians over a decade ago. Was this so that the state could dictate their morality on the masses? To so easily dismiss the parental rights on those who have done nothing legally or morally wrong, is to open the door to completely remove the parental rights of everyone. Parents should have the right to know what is going on, and have a say as to what is going on in their children’s lives. Regardless of their religious views, political views, their personal decision to raise their children as boys, girls, transgender or anything else. It is up to each individual family, not the state.


Please Protect Me!

Please protect Virginia’s teachers from this subjective, arbitrary, and indefensible assault on teachers.  While we always place the needs of each individual student at the forefront of our decisions, we also need to be able to work by following guidelines consistently applicable to all students.  Demanding that teachers follow the whimsical nature of a child, without parental guidance, input, and confirmation places us at risk of both legal and civil action.  Children are wards of their parents first and the state second, only when which the parent has neglected to meet the minimum state standards of care.


These are not your children

Americans still have the right to their own beliefs.  Americans have freedom of choice, freedom of religion.  It is not the Virginia Government's place to take those rights away from the parents of our most vulnerable citizens, our children. Most data shows that 94% of children with gender dysphoria grow out of it by the time they reach puberty.  So rather than teaching young children to start advocating to change the trajectory or their life before they are developed enough for mature reasoning, and use this as yet another attempt to minimize the role of a parent in developing their own child's morale compass, family values, and parental care in knowing what to teach their own child when, and how to teach it...simply teach tolerance and the ability to have civil discourse with one another.  Not sex ed designed for adolescents to be forced on elementary kids.  Let our kids be kids and our parents parent.


Mind your own business

Board Members, This is NOT your responsibility, duty, or fantasy to teach children ANY of this behavior!!!!! This is a parent's job to teach what they feel is appropriate for their child. These fantasies you want to brainwash the children with are wrong!!! Why don't you people focus on getting these kids back in the classroom. You all are Satan's minions and we see what you libtards are doing...you are destroying society. TC


LGBTQ EDUCATION

I am a parent of grown children. My voice and vote still counts! It should be up to the parents to educate their children when it comes to any sexually orientated issue. You tried to take God out of the school system so we took our children out and into home-schooling! You tried to get your teachers to lectureour children on their political views, so we took our children out! Now that you were going to teach something that many of us do not agree with we are going to vote you out and this time our vote will count!


Strongly Oppose!

I strongly oppose implementing the proposed policy agenda, Model Policies for the Implementation of Transgender Students in Virginia Public Schools.  This subject has no business being implemented as part of any school agenda and will clearly degrade the quality of education in our public school system.  If our public schools are left to disintegrate further, residents of Virginia will opt to consider viable options such as Charter Schools and Home School curricula for the proper education of our children.


LGBT education

No, leave our children alone.


My tax dollars should not be used for THIS!

Teaching transgenderism is NOT the responsibility of the schools and goes against mine and many others religious and personal beliefs. Stop encouraging our children to sterilize and mutilate themselves at their most vulnerable stage of life!


Strongly Opposed

I am in favor of our schools being kind places that are accepting of all students.  However, I oppose the specific parts of the recommendations that put the school between the parents and the child.  In addition, I am worried about reaching potentially permanent conclusions about the very essence of a child based on their preferences that they articulate at a young age.


OPPOSE the proposed transgender guidelines!

No person should be forced to swear or affirm the monstrous falsehood that children can be born in the wrong body. No Christian should be forced to deny God's purposeful design of male and female -- that's a denial of God Himself! This is a radical violation of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and freedom of speech.  Let Children be children and make decisions of this magnitude as mature adults without liberal progressive guidance.  Taxpayer's money should not be supporting this sort of manipulation. Fairfax County Virginia Clarence Willis


Strongly opposed

This is the wrong age and place to do a social engineering experiment.  While we should all be kind and accepting of one another, we should not put the schools and every other student in the middle of a radical experiment.  Nor should we ever remove the parents from the conversation.  Neither the schools nor the state should ever take the place of the family.


Stop this Madness

I strongly oppose Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools as I believe any decent, rational person should.  The fact that human beings are born either male or female is basic biological scientific truth.  Each person is made in the image of God and we do not get decide for ourselves what gender we would like to be.  Nor should children be taught to blur the lines and embrace gender dysphoria.  By supporting policies like this, you are supporting mental disorder being taught to our children.  Please do not support this!


opposed

We should treat everyone with kindness.  But we should not enforce this radical and militant perspective that seeks to impose a certain view of reality on students and parents.  The schools are not the place to do a social experiment.  Please reconsider the recommendations contained herein.


HIGHLY OPPOSED

I am HIGHLY OPPOSED to the idea of public school teachers brainwashing students against their parents' desires.  I feel that the parents should be the authority on teaching their children morals, values, and what should be acceptable.  We have seen what happens when the government takes the responsibility of rearing children.  As a result, their government collapsed or experienced a mass exodus by its citizens.  Let parents be parents and allow the teachers to teach the subject areas for which they were hired!


The state is not the parent,

Students sometimes dabble and experiment like trying a new bicycle. Most parents prefer to guide their children. You will encourage operations that can't be reversed only to have students grow out of a stage and want back their birth agenda. You may cause suicides. Dangerous precedent.


oppose

Children naturally question who they are--it's part of child development.  Read the Absorbent Mind  and Citizen of the World by Dr. Maria Montessori.   Gender used to mean a pronoun. Sex is biology and not assigned at birth--either you are female (XX chromosomes) or male (XY chromosomes).  The problem in today's society is that many people seem to be confused about what it means to be a woman or a man.   Just because a boy is more sensitive, doesn't mean he is in the wrong body. Conversely, just because a girl is athletic and strong, doesn't mean she should "transition" to a boy.  All children should be treated with respect and dignity and realize they are unique and unrepeatable and have unique gifts to help our humanity, not hinder by this distraction. Let parents form children, not the school system.


Repressive and Hypocritical

Yes, all students should always be treated with respect, yet, to Christians, sex assignment is determined by GOD. To change one's original sex infers that GOD made a mistake; therefore, this is a sin. Sinning is wrong because it hurts not only GOD but those who love and obey biblical beliefs. To dictate that Christian students and teachers must use "appropriate" sex pronouns, share bathrooms, etc., and the most egregious of all, be threatened for teaching their children biblical sexuality is totalitarianism. Making recommendations is within your rights, but coercing compliance through multiple threats of punishment is repressive and hypocritical. The wrong you are trying to prevent, you, yourself, are doing. What happens when a Christian student is being bullied for his values? Given this scenario, why is the VDOE treating, not only Christians but also Jews and Muslims, differently? Public education prides itself on teaching a diversity of thought, so why are religious views being suppressed? Institutes of education should instead be teaching interpersonal skills, which creates an ongoing diversity of benefits more than punishing those who disagree with you. A top workplace skill is learning how to get along with people who think differently than you. So, why are you struggling to get along with those whose second commandment is to "love thy neighbor?" Perhaps someone, who gets along better with others, should be writing the VDOE Transgender policy.


LBGT insanity

Virtually every cell in your body codes for sex.  There are billions of them and billions of clear scientific statements as to a person's sex.  This is a pure flight from reality and sheer insanity, in addition to being child abuse.  But the perverse powers behind this are all about child abuse, any way they can get it, and death upon death, whether through abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, sterilization, vacccinations, instigated wars and now the uptick, by the millions, of deaths by starvation in the Third World through coercive Covid policies.  As usual with these folks the cure is much worse than the disease.   The innocence of children and the sanity of society is absolutely worth dying for and that will completely reveal these power-hungry and heartless beings for the evil creatures they are.  Not that a lot of people haven't figured it out already.


Strongly opposed

How can any sane person think this is a good idea???


Please vote against the Department of Education Draft .

Please vote against the DOE draft to further undermine parental values. The parent not the Board of Education have the authority to determine how and what their children should be taught about family values. In pushing this agenda the public school system will lose more students to private and homeschools. The children are under your supervision but they do not belong to the state nor the education system, they belong to the parent. This draft over steps those bounds.


Leave parenting to parents

This bill is ludicrous saying that teachers can talk to students with out telling the parents anything letting the school have anything to do with how a child that was not born from them is raised that is none of there business  that is between the parent an child also for this bill to say that anyone entering a bathroom will not be questioned or letting boys use girls rooms or girls using boys rooms is absolutely wrong an over stepping the governor an schools place these are children no one wants a 6 ' hairy knuckle adams apple having bethany going in to the bathroom behind there daughter  no one wants that or having to put the children them self's through  the embarrassment and or harrassment they will get from other students an it will happen almost garunted this is the most ridiculously made bill I have ever read my closing statement is this LEAVE PARENTING TO THE PARENTS  governments governors have no place in family affairs


Transgender subject

I strongly oppose allowing that to be pushed on our kids thats is up to the parents for that not your job.


Curriculum proposal re transgender subject

This is wrong on every level and we will answer to a holy God for the harm we cause to our children.


I oppose new VDOE guidance's assault on children and parents

This is not appropriate education for children. It is the parent's job to educate their children about sexual matters and life choices about sexual matters. Do not impose this on our kids and parents.


No LGBT allowed special treatment.

It is with sincere standing against all special allowances for LGBT indoctrination of our children. It is against Nature and all our Christian moral values and the basic standards of family according to the Bible which is this country’s morals code. Our Republic must have a moral code to exist or it will fail. mourn moral code is to love all People BUT?? Not except or condone immoral pursuits. I am fed up with this march toward removing our Republic form of government.


This is NOT Transgender Protection this a promotion of confusion and Violation of Parental Rights

Gender is not a spectrum. It is Biology. We were each created either male or female. The promotion of  teaching an ideology that contradicts what they would learn in science is very dangerous and confusing for our children. It is difficult enough for those children working through the question of Transgender. Why would your push this question onto children it is not a struggle for? It is not okay to divorce your biology. The idea of gender assignment at birth is unfounded. This is one of the main topic that will be put into the curriculum  You were not assigned a gender you were created to either be male or female. To instill the idea into children that they were assigned a gender not made either male or female will cause unnecessary damage and confusion. This Bill is also in direct violation of the Parental Rights that Virginia Parents have. This policy in the name of respect outlines that the child's desire to to be transgender will be affirmed regardless of where the parent(s) stand on the issue or if they are even aware. This is a direct violation of Parental Rights. It usurps the parents right to parent and educate the child. When did the school system become the parent? The school does not have the right to affirm a gender that the parents of the child may or may not know about. The school system does not have this right nor should they. I am extremely concerned about the safety of our young people. How can it be safe for ALL? When through this Bill men can go into women's bathrooms and so on. There is a major issue here. This issue of safety and privacy really becomes serious in middle and high school. I can remember needing the safety and privacy of the restroom that was only for women. In my senior year of high school I had an angry teach who happened to be male chase me out of his class room and only stopped when I got into the bathroom. If that was a student or teacher that Identified as a women it would have been perfectly fine for him to enter the ladies bathroom. That unfortunate situation I personally lived through would have ended very differently if the bathroom situation was per the directive of the new bill. There is also a major religious freedom issue here. With this type of Bill there will be many teachers who will be forced to teach in such a way that directly violates their religious beliefs. There will be many children who will be forced to learn an ideology that is not founded in science that they will be graded on that directly violates their religious beliefs. Potentially Private school and Christian and Jewish and even Muslim schools may be forced to teach something that violates their beliefs. To conclude this bill is nothing short of a disaster and a lawsuit. It must not be passed.


No- This is demonic and anyone who supports it supports evil. That’s what true charity sounds lke

No -this is demonic and anyone who supports this is supporting evil. It’s child abuse - worse demonic child abuse. This should be a huge red flag to all involved - hell is real and it’s forever- FOREVER Imagine your job was to empty all the oceans in the world with a teaspoon. How long would that take you? However long that is once you finished, forever would’ve just started 10 minutes ago. Thats what supporting things like these can get you along with many others that seem to be way too normal these days. Stop offending God - I’m talking about the one true God


It is not the school’s place

The school has no right teaching something that a parent must choose to teach their child and besides it not being the schools place teachers have more to teach than we have time to teach already.


oppose pathetic, ruinous "woke" ideologies in our schools

What cruelty to vulnerable children to tell them in class that maybe they are not really a boy or a girl!  It's vital that we can trust our public schools.  So many teachers like those in my family work so hard to respect children's natural modesty, sensitivities, and religious beliefs and you seem to wish to undermine them.


It's not the Government Responsibility

It isn't the States responsibility to force that which is unnatural upon their citizenry. The State cannot make people believe a lie.


Yes protect transgender students

please protect transgender, LGBTQ students, including them in curriculum. Educate students, staff, and parents


this proposal is hideous!

There is absolutely no rational sense to this proposal, which defies sound logic. Allow parents to be parents! Many children do not understand the effect of their changing hormones causing "gender dysphoria" and the way to get through it is NOT to promote this garbage! NO I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS AT ALL!!! VOTE NO!


Re: Opposition to VDOE draft for school policy pushing LGBT agenda on children I need to emphasize the role of parents in the education of children. It is not the school’s responsibility to educate them in their sexual orientation. I oppose this and any attack on the integrity of my family’s values. Again it is not the school who determines how to educate my children in their sexual orientation it is absolutely no one else’s but mine. This is overstepping boundaries. I urge the VA legislators to stop this immediately due to public opposition. You serve our communities. Now it is time for you to stand up for us.


Ed S, Catholics Concerned for American Catholic Morals

'Transgender' (Ideology)?

The idea that people in positions being paid to teach fundamental academics to our young people should not be expanded to allow them to force their own radical and un-Godly ideas on those of us who completely disagree with this. It violates Natural Law on so many levels, is anti-Biblical, and is only guaranteeing further chaos in our society. Confusion and chaos run contrary to the basics principles of a people who choose to live in a Country whose fundamentals are built on the Rule of Law and Order


This Proposal is hideous

This proposal is hideous. It should be up to the state to teach children about transgender ideologies. This is a violate of religious freedom and human rights of every child out there. It also violates natural and civil law. Most important of all it violates God's law. If anything it should be up to the parents to teach their children about gender ideologies.


??No!

We do NOT Agree With THIS!!!  This is MY Subtle WARNING!!!!!  OUR WHOLE FAMILY, All of US!  BOTH PARENTS, Both sets of Grandparents....DO NOT AGREE!!!!    Push THIS and I / We Will No Longer be subtle!!!  I have taken every Name!!! With Seriousness, for my Daughter ?? Megan Mincz


Absolutely Opposed

This is the kind of garbage that creeps into the public schools when the moral foundations of what made our country unique and great are allowed to erode away. Instead of cow-towing to this perversion, perhaps our public schools should get back into the business of teaching, especially history, that has shown repeatedly what happens when the state takes over the duties and responsibilities of parents. I hope and pray that the time will come again soon when our great state of Virginia and her legislators return to the principles we were founded upon.


Oppose

These proposed policies regarding transgender students violates the rights of everyone involved. The rights of teachers, students, and parents in their beliefs and stances on transgender issues as well as their basic rights to use changing areas and restrooms without fear of an opposite sex person being present. These policies will result in so many more conflicts than actually resolve bullying and related issues with transgender students. These policies will cause teachers to be sued, loose their jobs, and generally live in fear of breaking a policy based on the whims of a child. We are already hurting to keep teachers, why would we add to their increasingly difficult job?! I especially take issue with any policy that gives the school administration and teachers the right to not inform a parent of their child in any capacity; emotional, physical or mental. In every other situation the parent or guardian HAS to be involved; to say that a parent can be left out of their child's struggle of identity has MAJOR repercussions. This would only further hurt a child; who may I remind you, despite the current social trends, does not have the mental or emotional capacity to truly make such a life altering decision. Although my children are not yet school age, these types of policies would force our family to find other options for their future schooling. My tax dollars may be forced to still support these policies, but the state and local school system would have no other support from my pockets or time.


Model Policy changes for transgender students in Virginia public schools

These changes will traumatize the students.


Please support!

Please support!


Strongly Oppose

Allowing children to make big decisions about their life, before their brains are fully developed, is child abuse.  Not disclosing these things to parents is decisive and tears families apart. We should take the time to understand why a child feels so uncomfortable in their own skin.  You wouldn’t put an anorexic child on a diet, would you?  Please do not let this pass.


Oppose

We cannot experiment with our children on gender. What children are being encouraged to do to their bodies is a form of child abuse. Let's help those who have gender-related challenges rather than encouraging them to disfigure themselves. Biologically, men and women have different fundamental chromosomes, and no amount of educational policies, artificial hormones, or surgery will change that scientific fact. Let's have true compassion by providing such children a true understanding of who they are rather than encouraging thinking that can lead to a lifetime of struggles.


Strongly Oppose

Strongly Oppose. If implemented, these reckless policies will cause harm to children, parents, and teachers. They have nothing to do with helping vulnerable children and constitute a flagrant attempt by the state to usurp the role of parents.


Transgender guidli es are anti-science

These Transgender guidelines are completely opposed to science. Human beings are created  as male and female. That is a biological fact with sociological, philosophical, theological, chemical, and anthropological implications. Stop forcing your anti-science destructive agenda on vulnerable youths!


Please vote AGAINST Transgender treatment in schools

Please oppose the proposed guidelines to direct schools on treatment of transgender students and reducing the role of the parent.  Your constituents and fellow citizens, who are parents, are the first line educators of the future generations.  The state's role is not to tell parents what to do or not to do as it pertains to teaching children. Again, vote against the proposed guidelines. Thank you! M Carrozza


Terrible ideas

The transgender guidelines are a terrible idea. How about schools deal in matters of objective truth. We cannot make up new human sexualities, it is written in our DNA. To pretend that transgenderism is normal, natural or in anyway healthy is a lie. Stop lying to our children


I strongly oppose the Transgender policy for Virginia's public schools.


I strongly support this guidance.

I strongly support the rapid promulgation of this guidance and these policies.


Forcing Transgender Policy in schools

Strongly oppose the forced transgender policy in public schools


Model policies for the treatment of transgender students in the VA public schools

I strongly oppose the model policies for the treatment of transgender students in VA public schools.


Strongly Opposed to Proposed Policy on Transgendered Students in Public Schools

I strongly oppose the proposed Virginia policy on Transgendered Students in Public Schools as being contrary to good science, medicine, and common sense.


Strongly Oppose

Schools have a duty to protect the bodily privacy and dignity of all students. No child should be forced to share intimate settings such as showers and locker rooms with a member of the opposite biological sex. Many children will be placed in harms way when members of the opposite sex, especially adults, will have unfettered access to gendered facilities. The Department’s proposed policies would pit children against their parents when it comes to important questions about sex and gender identity.


Pitiful situation.  Sorry for transgender body.  Please don't force policy on majority of children.

The transgender child is a child of GOD and is loved by HIM. Yet sin is not loved by GOD and tampering with HIS creation is ungodly


New transgender school policy

Strongly opposed


STRONGLY support - All children deserve to feel safe and accepted at school

All children should have a right to feel safe in schools. Treating people with respect and supporting our youth is not putting anyone in danger. In fact to do the opposite puts lives in danger every day. I fully support these policies and believe that it is imperative for us to continue striving to make ALL children feel safe and supported in schools so that one day those opposing this can realize they were on the wrong side of history.


Oppose Transgender policies

I agree that all children should not be harassed or bullied in schools because they are different. But, there is already a strong law to help stop bullying.  As a doctor, I realize that genetically there are two genders: male and female. The rest is a psychological designation. When you add surgery and hormonal supplements, it has been shown by studies in Europe that when youth are given the opposite hormones of their genetic make-up, most end up with severe psychological problems. So, encouraging the LGBTQAI+ agenda is very confusing for children - who for the most part pass this gender confusion period once they reach puberty. Also, who determines parental abuse? This can be a slippery slope condemning many people of different faiths, thereby infringing on the first amendment. And, for many other reasons, I oppose the suggested transgender policies.


Strongly oppose

Students will be allowed to claim to be either a biological male or female (or both, neither, or something else entirely) for any duration of time, without providing any evidence to a teacher or administrator, making it impossible for teachers to comply with these policies. Schools would be prohibited from notifying parents if a biological male is using the same changing facility as their daughter that was designated for girls.


Strongly Oppose - Enforce Anti-Bullying

Schools officials already have the power to make the school environment safe and welcoming for all students: Enforce the existing anti-bullying policy. The proposal to give government the power to usurp parental rights, to teach as truth what's been disproved by DNA and biological science, to jeopardize the privacy and safety of our children , to encourage snitching on and penalizing of those who don't conform is un-American and dangerous.  America is not (yet) Nazi Germany, a totalitarian government controlling all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. Enforce the common-sense authority already given you.


STRONGLY SUPPORT - pediatrician-backed

Strongly support these policies, which can be life-saving for our vulnerable & impressionable youth who too often commit suicide and experience violence at significantly higher rates than the average youth populace. The American Academy of Pediatrics is in agreement. As a medical student at EVMS, we have learned and seen the importance of providing gender-inclusive care.


Seriously?

Erasing girls from athletic scholarship opportunities and forcing girls to get undressed in front of biological males? WTH is wrong with you?


Strongly Oppose

This is ridiculous.  God created man and woman there are no other choices.  You will not teach my children these depraved lies.


Taking my rights as a parent.

Highly oppose!


Strongly Oppose

I Strongly Oppose.


All Children Matter

My heart goes out to these children who are facing such a terrible dilemma, God knows adolescence is hard enough. BUT i believe that the burden of this policy will fall directly on the shoulders of the other children in the school system--who have their own issues--and in my opinion will do them more of a disservice then it will to meet the needs of those this bill is seeking to serve. It's this reason why I strongly disapprove of this resolution and ask that you vote NO!


Strongly opposed  to proposed policy on transgendered students in public schools

Opposed to proposed policy on transgendered students in public school!


Trans students' rights are important

As a former student of Virginia's public schools, I think it is highly important to support the rights of trans students. Trans students deserve to feel safe in school and be able to participate fully in activities, including sports. Research has shown conclusively that gender-affirming legislation does not increase risk to cis students but massively increases the safety and well-being of trans students. Safe and affirming educational environments for all students, both trans and cis, should be a major goal of Virginia's school system.


Oppose

Every single child—including and especially those struggling with sexual confusion—should be protected from harm and harassment. There is no question of that. And Virginia has a good anti-bullying law. But this new, proposed policy goes way beyond prevention and crosses the line into mandatory promotion of politicized, sexualized ideology. Considering that scientific studies and medical experts make clear the majority of children outgrow gender confusion by the time they reach puberty—it’s, at best, irresponsible to push involuntary promotion of gender confusion in a public education setting—and, at worst, actually damaging to kids who are still developing.


I strongly oppose this anti-scientific policy!  Not only is this policy trying to enforce ideas that are completely contrary to basic human anatomy and physiology, it is attempting to wrest control away from parents in actually raising their own children.  Force feeding this false narrative in all aspects of our public school and even telling teachers to deceive parents if the parents don't agree with said policy.  Additionally this policy opens the door to accusing parents who disagree with it of being "abusive", potentially causing further harm to families throughout Virginia for merely disagreeing with this harmful policy.


STRONGLY OPPOSED TO PUTTING IDEOLOGY BEFORE SCIENCE

This "transgender" policy not only ignores elemental biology -- it turns science inside out and upside down, to promote a social agenda that harms ALL children, especially those whose minds and bodies are out of sync with each other.   These children need help to align their understanding of themselves with biological reality, so they can thrive as fully integrated persons.  To deny them such basic, compassionate care and nurturing is itself child abuse.


Support, thank you

This policy seems to be well thought-out and nuanced, trying hard to balance the needs of both student and family while complying with the outcomes of precedent-setting court cases in the area of transgender law. Thank you!


Strongly Oppose

I believe this undermines parental rights and is damaging to children. It also communicates a double standard to treat children one way at school and threat then another way in front of their parents. This is damaging to families, promotes distrust within families and in essence says that the government knows better than children's parents how they should be directed, which is an erroneous assumption. I urge you to vote NO and dismiss this proposal.


STRONGLY SUPPORT TRANS YOUTH

I strongly support these guidelines and am horrified anyone would consider doing otherwise. These are some of our most vulnerable children. So many trans people are lost to suicide or murder. It takes nothing away from others to treat them with basic respect and dignity. It takes nothing away from others to help children feel safe and supported at school. I am horrified and ashamed as a Virginian that so many others don’t think that children should be afforded a safe and respecting environment at school. Please do not listen to antiquated and unscientific beliefs about transgender children and continue to support them with these guidelines based on science, evidence, and empathy. Maybe consider some community efforts to educate people more about trans lives.


Strongly Oppose

I strongly oppose any guidance and policy modifying school approach to dealing with confused children identifying as transgender. The overwhelming majority of children will be harmed by the unnecessary overreach providing special access to very private and personal spaces simply because a confused boy or girl doesn’t feel comfortable with their natural biological sex. These policies will create an unsafe environment.


Love & support trans youth!!

I have so many transgender young people in my life, and I love them all. It breaks my heart to see how much they struggle when family friends schools and the community do not accept them for who they truly are. Please pass any in all policies that make it possible for everyone to express their gender identity, regardless of their biological sex at birth!


Strongly oppose-protect ALL children, parental rights, 1st Amendment Rights

I have grave concerns about the proposed transgender policy guidelines.  I believe that as drafted, the guidelines will enforce an IDEOLOGY of gender and sex that is harmful to children, by promoting the idea that their malleable, psychological sense of self should over-ride their BIOLOGICAL sex, including to the point of undergoing radical medical interventions with IRREVERSIBLE  outcomes.  It has been well established that puberty blockers can lead to infertility and cause irreversible damage to the body's ability to normally progress thru puberty.  If an impressionable child is convinced that he/she wants to override their biological sex with medicine and surgeries, and later changes their minds, much of what has been done, can not be undone.  Why is the Department of Education encouraging this type of behavior amongst our very impressionable children?  As a society, we recognize that it is not wise for children to consume alcohol preferably before the age of 21, because they are not fully capable of properly understanding the risks.  Likewise, we do not let children under the age of 18 vote-because they do not function as an independent adult and do not fully understand the consequences of their vote, and therefore can be  easily swayed by adults who seek to take advantage of their vulnerability.   The same can be said for young impressionable children, who are told that the only solution to their CURRENT dislike of the biological sex that they were born with, is to embark on a journey of life-time dependency on puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and even surgeries to permanently remove healthy sex & reproductive organs--much to the delight of the gender clinics and drug companies that are already garnering HUGE profits from these brand-new customers for life.  Many Virginians believe this to be  truly unconscionable--not because they "hate" transgender kids--but because they truly care about the over-all well-being of all children.  However, those who question the "affirmation only" guidelines as proposed, are not represented in these guidelines. In fact, these parents, teachers, staff and students who do not agree with the "affirmation only" ideology are marginalized.  These guidelines actually institutionalize the bullying, by school administrators, of anyone, including students, who do not agree with these guidelines.  It is extremely troubling that students can be disciplined without their parent's knowledge or input, for allegedly discriminating against someone who identifies as transgender.  I find it equally disturbing that girls will have lost ALL rights to privacy, under these guidelines, not to mention the fact that all-girls sports have been swept away, by allowing boys, who claim to be girls, to participate on any girl's sports team, without ANY regard for the safety of the girls.  I find it very disturbing that these guidelines do not provide any exceptions or accommodations for a student or teacher whose religious faith, conscience, or understanding of basic human biology and sociology, prevents them from being able to go along with the transgender ideology and policies.  Because there are no such exceptions in these guidelines, it seems almost certain that the DoE is enforcing one preferred ideology over another, and rather than creating room for differing opinions. DoE is actually creating a sub-group of students, parents, teachers and staff who stand to be DISCRIMINATED against, in the "name of ending discrimination".  How is this just or fair?  How does this foster good will amongst all parties involved?  Our students deserve better.  Virginia's parents deserve better.  Our teachers and staff members deserve better.  The Virginia Department of Education can and must do better than what is currently being proposed.


Strongly support trans youth

It hurts nobody to help support the fair treatment of trans youth. They deserve to be treated with respect and consideration like any other human being.


STRONGLY SUPPORT

It hurts nobody to help support the fair treatment of trans youth. They deserve to be treated with respect and consideration like any other human being. .


Support

I strongly support this guidance and these policies.


You Treatment of Transgender Students

Strongly oppose this shameful agenda.


Proposed transgender policy

Common sense dictates the need to continue the current designation of school bathrooms. The proposed change of pronouns for our school boys and girls would be very disruptive and impractical. As you know, God made us male and female and if a child becomes confused with their sexual identity, they should be protected from bullying without receiving preferential treatment and disrupting the whole school system. Please always keep parents informed and give them the opportunity to make necessary decisions - to do the parenting. A teacher’s job is difficult but appreciated by the majority of people. Let them continue teaching the 3 R’s, history, character values, money management etc but please do not teach critical theory and the 1619 Project which lead to the destruction of our USA values.


Oppose

School is not the place to teach children gender identity, this is the role of the family and not the education system.


Transgender Student Treatment

I strongly oppose this shameful policy.


STRONGLY OPPOSE TRANSGENDER POLICY

I strongly oppose the transgender policy that you are trying to push through.  As a female and a rape survivor, my daughter does NOT feel safe with a male in the same bathroom or locker room regardless of what gender they desire to be.  I also do not feel safe allowing my daughter to attend public school so long as this policy is in place as she loses her sense of physical privacy by being forced to undress in the presence of a biological male. Maybe consider making a bathroom nongender they can go in on their own.  To have my daughter undress in front of a male, regardless of their stated interest to the contrary, is not something I want her to have to deal with.


Oppose the new trans law. This is extremely harmful.

Schools will be permitted to help a student explore, facilitate and make decisions regarding their gender expression of sexual identity while at school, without a parent even knowing! This is extremely alarming!!! The schools do not raise our children - the parents do. You have absolutely no right to "help our kids explore, facilitate and make decisions about her sexual identity"! And you would sneak around and do this secretly, without notifying the parents? That's predator behavior. The fact that you would undermine our authority makes me physically sick to my stomach. All students will be allowed to use any bathroom or locker room they choose, without being questioned by any school administrator or faculty, eliminating privacy and safety of students in states of undress. This policy allows for further bullying, assault, oggling and rape and leaves the teachers powerless to remove a student they know isn't trans. Do you realize how many children feel uncomfortable being  exposed while changing in front of the same sex, much less the opposite sex. Changing is a very private moment. This policy encourages predatory boys to just walk into girls' bathrooms and locker rooms and take a nice long look. Is that what you want happening to YOUR children?! Every part of this bill takes away my children's innocence and protection. It undermines parental authority. I will have no part in it. If this passes, my children will not go back to public, but I am terrified for Virginia's kids.


UTTERLY DESPICABLE!

Many people feel uncomfortable being in the bathroom or locker room  with someone of the opposite gender, even if that person is transgender.  Allowing people to use facilities of their gender identity is dangerous because anyone can claim to be trans as an excuse to enter a bathroom or locker room of the opposite gender to commit rape or sexual assault.  For the safety and privacy of our young people, this policy must be nullified.


Support!

Thank you Virginia DOE for these policies! They are inclusive and nature and supportive of all public school students. I am in full support.


Strongly support the rights of all children, oppose this policy that infringes on those rights

The rights of every individual are of great importance and ones percieved rights should never infringe upon the rights of another. Putting the biological truth aside, my young teenage biologically female daughter being forced to change in the same locker room as a biological male, regardless of their identification, can cause real psychological damage; yet such an effect bears little to no consideration when attempting to accommodate the desires of any one individual. Furthermore, the basic, unchangeable differences between females and males that would have to just be thrown out the window to accommodate a biological male who identifies as female, and wants to compete against female athletes, can be physically dangerous, and psychologically harmful. This blatant indifference towards the rights of female athletes, and the disregard for the hard work and effort to achieve, is unconscionable. This is only a small example in pool of negative side effects of this, and I dearly hope the rights of all individuals are seriously considered before implementing such a policy.


OPPOSE!

Government officials do not have a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools and jeopardize the bodily privacy and safety of our children.


Strongly Oppose

Strongly Oppose


Oppose

I do not support this being implemented in the schools.


Strongly OPPOSE!!!

God determines the sex of a child, it’s in his plan, nothing else should ever change that period!


FINALLY! Making sure kids aren't abused and everyone is educated appropriately.

I think it's fantastic that they are taking the abuse of transgendered children seriously by educating everyone appropriately and making sure that there are things in place for transgendered kids to be equal and have a safe and secure atmosphere in which to learn


Strongly Oppose

Children need privacy in vulnerable situations like bathrooms and locker rooms. School age children should not be joined with other children of the opposite sex.


******100% OPPOSE**********

I do not agree with this new idea of trying to help children. Parents role are to educate and guide their children. School role is only to teach not to decide for them. I do not agree with this idea. It is crazy!


Strongly oppose

I strongly oppose these policies. They will hurt children.


What happened to the lefts agenda to defendan the rights  f all females regardless of age?

The left has carried on about doing everything in their power to defend and protect the rights of all women. How is his doing just that. How is this fair in any circumstances? We are now putting the rights of the LGBT+ community and especially the Trans community in front of the same rights they have vowed to protect. Shameful!!!!!!!!!


Strongly OPPOSED

This policy is short sighted and downright harmful to our youth and families. If passed, It will not help but only do further harm.  Parents are the best advocates for their children and their rights must not be taken away and given to the government. Schools are not the place for political agendas. These far left policies are dangerous, unprecedented, and should be stopped.


Support our LGBTQ+ kids!

I strongly support these bills and any legislation that supports basic decency and respect and will help our schools in Virginia be a safe place for LGBTQ+ and trans kids. Thank you!


Oppose Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools

The proposed policy document should not be approved nor implemented because it is politically biased, unscientific, and may actually cause harm to minor citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. While I fully support educational policies which advance the health and safety of students, the proposed policies reflect a political reaction based upon the popularity of transgenderism and is driven by ideologies rather than science.  The science regarding gender dysphoria/transgenderism is not fully developed, but this policy presumes that transitioning is a panacea. In reality, both medical and social scientific studies establish that gender dysphoria is a complex psychological condition. The proposed policy unscientifically labels "sex assigned at birth" as a bureaucratic preference rather than a biological reality. Sex and gender are not the same.  Sex is an immutable biological fact, whereas gender is a recognized social construct.  There are masculine women, and there are feminine males; the chromosomal norm is XX for female and XY for male, despite chromosomal variances found in intersexuality and other syndromes. The policy wrongfully gives full credence to the opinions of juveniles well below the age of legal competence.  The policy states: "School divisions should accept a student’s assertion of their gender identity without requiring any particular substantiating evidence, including diagnosis, treatment, or legal documents." This policy is based upon the popular notion that affirming a child's preferred gender is always good.  Reality does not reflect this: Take the case of the British woman Keira Bell, a person who was treated by the Tavistock Centre in London, which runs Britain’s Gender Identity Development Service , which resulted in Ms. Bell deciding to irreparably alter and mutilate her body.  What is tragic about this case is that when Ms. Bell was 15, she actually received a psychiatric evaluation regarding her gender dysphoria. In court documents, Ms. Bell remembered: “the psychiatrist attempted to talk of the gender spectrum as a way of persuading me to not pursue medical transition. I took this as a challenge to how serious I was about my feelings and what I wanted to do and it made me want to transition more. Now I wish I had listened to her [the psychiatrist].”   In retrospect, Ms. Bell, who is now potentially sterile from the results of puberty blockers, regrets that she did not heed the counsel of a psychiatrist.  What is so wrong about Virginia DOE's proposed policy, is that it relies on Virginia Statute, Section 54.1-2409.5, Conversion therapy prohibited--the very purpose of which is to preclude the very kind of psychological therapy that Ms. Bell now wistfully wishes that she more fully considered. As a result, the British High Court has ruled that children under the age of 16 may not be given puberty blocking hormones without judicial review . A child may ardently believe many things at early ages--and psychological research has demonstrated that many youths who identify as the opposite sex do not persist in the same conviction beyond adolescence. See Factors Associated with Desistence and Persistence of Childhood Gender Dysphoria: A Quantitative Follow-Up Study . The proposed policy states: "Whenever schools provide sex-segregated activities such as physical education classes, students should be allowed to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity." In this pronouncement, does the policy differentiate between gender and identity and gender expression?  Is it only the child with a gender identity that is allowed to enter the restrooms/locker rooms with which the child identifies?  The policy recognizes that there is a difference between Gender identity and Gender expression: "Gender expression may change over time and from day-to-day and is not necessarily related to the person’s gender identity."  This raises the possibility that a biological male who identifies as a male but who chooses to express as a female (e.g. a day-to-day cross dresser) and is dressed as a female may be granted access to a girls room. The policy does not consider the potentially negative impact on other students.  For example, a policy authorizing a biological male self-identifying as female the full access to a girls' bathroom and shower facilities intrudes upon the privacy and very may well cause psychological harm to many other biological females. Are the concerns of the biological female secondary to the concerns of the transgendered student? Compound this in a school that may have grades k-8 all in the same building, so that a pre-pubescent girl may find herself in the physical presence of a pubescent male who self-identifies as female.  Self-identification by a minor child should not be the criteria on which school policies make such drastic changes for a majority of students and the parents of those students.


Protect the Children

Protect our children - ALL our children! Government officials do not have a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools and jeopardize the bodily privacy and safety of our children. Use my tax money to provide and protect, not promote transgender school policies that put many many children and teachers in harms way.


Strongly Oppose

I have a granddaughter in elementary school who would be so disturbed, upset and confused if she were ever to see such unnatural behavior!  I am appalled that this proposal is even being considered, that parents cannot even be informed of their child’s unusual behavior!  What is to stop a boy from abusing this and possibly invade a girls space or even accost her?!  This is an opening of Pandora’s box!  Why are the rights of a transgender above that of a heterosexual?!  This is just wrong in more ways than I can think!  Praying you will reconsider these rules!!!


Utterly Oppose; Stop the Insanity

Girls should be playing sports only with biological girls. Girls have the right to know they are using rest rooms and locker rooms only with other biological girls. Stop radical, fringe political activists from making a mockery of our society’s time-honored gender and sex roles (based on physiological reality for 99.98% of the human and all other mammalian species), and keep sports fair for girls, and keep girls physically and psychologically safe in the facilities that always have been designated just for them.


I Identify as Being Smarter than Claire Jane Sawyer

DEMONIC GENDERY TYRANNY

https://www.the11thhourblog.com/ https://www.the11thhourblog.com/post/gender-tyranny-and-the-silence-of-those-we-love I know how six million people were carted off to death camps in world war II while their neighbors remained silent. I know this because I am living through the era of Gender Tyranny where a lobby group of elite and powerful men have captured organizations, institutions, whole governments and bought the silence of the populace, along with public support for the most outrageous lies. They have done so while children are being castrated and maimed and their maiming and castration is being used as fodder for national entertainment . Each new day, I ask what it will take to break through. What do others who aren’t fighting need to see, to know, to have happen to them, to have happen to others, before they see this is corporate totalitarianism, consider where it is going and act accordingly? So many of us fighting have loved ones and friends going along with this. It is blowing our minds, tearing us up, how do we continue our relationships with people who refuse to see the harms in front of their faces? Many professionals have now been openly fired for making critical reference to the gender identity industry publicly, or for comments made, on social media. Comedians, professors, authors, cartoonists, teachers, journalists, artists, political commentators, actors, activists and others have been overtly censored , shut down for questioning what is happening. Lawsuits are looming that are being reported on in the general public, of parents losing their children - LOSING THEIR CHILDREN -for refusing to believe in gender ideology, losing campaigns against their children’s school when the schools are hiding their children’s new identity from them. Before parents are even aware of what “gender identity” is, or that their children will be clamoring for wrong sex hormones, before they have even recovered from the shock that their child is identifying as the opposite sex, they are blindsided by the capitulation of the children’s schools , indoctrinated by political lobby groups . There are now 69 “youth gender clinics” - 69!!! - which have emerged on the American landscape over the past decade where there were zero previously. One in the UK was sued by a detransitioning woman and a parent, and openly reported on , by a leading psychiatrist who ultimately left his position after facing disciplinary action for his whistle blowing. Medical professionals are developing more abusive procedures to adhere to this new gender doctrine. Young adults are getting wrong sex hormones for their bodies after a couple of visits to Planned Parenthood and on their school campuses . There are 37,000 young women campaigning for money on GoFundMe to have their healthy breasts amputated so they can “identify as men". What will it take? Children are being overtly sexualized in public areas and at their schools under a guise of “diversity and inclusion,” a trans lobby mantra that frames this strange new discourse and the force used to implement it, without irony, as anti-bullying programs that parents can’t opt out of. I want people to ask, what kind of human rights movement acts like this? I want them to ask it out loud, in conversations, at their jobs and everywhere they go. I especially want them to have the courage to address the people claiming to love them. Is it a human right to physically dissociate? Where will we be in ten years if we don’t stop lying? The boundaries of all women and children’s safe spaces are being breached , remade to include men and boys. The sex boundary between male and female is being violated. Crime statistics are being skewed , medical information ignored , women with their healthy breasts amputated are being openly used in advertising , on runways and fashion spreads. Young adults seeking to change their sex characteristics in pursuit of a medical nightmare are used in all sorts of advertising. This is going on in the public sphere. None of this is hidden. Men claiming womanhood, to sate their sexual fetish , are being thrust into the limelight at corporations, banks , Hollywood and the government . One of them was just elected to be the nation’s health secretary . Women’s professional sports are being ruined by men claiming womanhood, stealing their titles and their scholarship opportunities and have just been supported in doing s o by our new president. Men are assaulting women in women’s prisons . The silent majority is silent still. This has been going on for eight solid years. By comparison, McCarthyism reached its peak and began its decline during the “McCarthy hearings”: 36 days of televised investigative hearings led by McCarthy in 1954. McCarthyism was segregated to America. It was not a global phenomenon. Gender Tyranny has been on a global rampage across America, Europe, Australia, Canada and is being driven into the global south under a banner of liberation. We have had eight years of bold face lies about the most intrinsic thing to being human - our sex. Everyone knows changing sex is a lie. Even if they aren’t facing it, like the alcoholic in denial, they know it. We cannot bear more, nor can we tolerate the lies any longer, even from those we love. We must demand more. Their silence is nutrition feeding gender tyranny perpetuation across the globe. These “friends,” those who “love us,” those who “care about” others, nodding their heads at overt propaganda, normalizing these harms as the bodies pile up, must be addressed, their silence no longer excused, their “love” called to task. For what is love without action? What does it mean to love, while these harms are mounting all around us with the heads of those we love nodding up and down like bobble head dolls? We must demand more from those claiming to love us, that their love be put into action.The time for educating, for patience, for averted conversations for the sake of comfort, or with regard to false family unity, must come to an end if we are to grab our humanity back from Gender Tyranny. Because this is how it happened, how tyranny reigned in Nazi Germany.It wasn’t the Nazi’s themselves that cemented their success.It was the silence and inaction of those on the side, their unwillingness to tell the truth.


https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/not-just-a-tattoo-transgenderism-attacks-our-fundamental-humanity/ Not Just a Tattoo: Transgenderism Attacks Our Fundamental Humanity We are a sexually dimorphic species, whether we like it or not. Credit: Andrii Zastrozhnov/Shutterstock October 9, 2020 | 12:01 am Jennifer Bilek It should seem obvious that dyeing one’s hair is nothing like getting surgery or taking sex hormones to pose as the opposite sex. Yet over the past several years of organizing against and resisting the gender identity industry, I have come upon this conflation a number of times by transgender activists. Variations on this have come in the form of “it’s just like getting a nose job, or breast enhancement surgery, or tattoos,” which isn’t true. None of these things are like attempting to alter your sex, and it isn’t just a matter of degrees in medical alterations. Intense body modifications, including breast enlargement or reduction, though they can fall into dangerous territory if they are medically unnecessary, are not in the category of attempting to change what we are at our core. We are not our noses. We are not our un-inked skin or our hair color or the size of our breasts. What we are is a sexually dimorphic species. Our sex is what keeps us whole. I often hear that adults who change their sex markers should be able to do as they please, to express themselves, even as the line is drawn at changing sex markers for, or giving hormones and drugs to, children. Adults should be able to make up their own minds, or so the argument goes, all in the name of freedom and individual choice. But why? Why should adults be granted legal documents and risky and harmful surgeries, and allowed to become life-long medical patients as a means of expressing themselves? Why should they do it when the changes wrought by these allowances come at great cost to society? This is an especially pertinent question given recent retractions by a prominent psychiatric journal , which now states, as the ranks of detransitioners grow, that surgeries to change sex markers don’t fix people’s mental health. In Western cultures, adults are being granted new birth certificates and driver’s licenses that reflect the opposite sex, or third sex , not gender, as the term “transgender” would denote. Gender refers to sex stereotypes. Opposite gender (sex-stereotype) performances can be played out without drugs, wrong sex hormones, surgeries, and a lifetime of dependence on the medical-industrial complex. These gender stereotypes can be played out without changing official documents denoting our sex. Musicians and other artists do it frequently. What society is now allowing is for governments to create a social falsehood out of sex , with technology and pharmacology embedding this lie into law and language. Those of us who want to live in a world that is at least somewhat ordered to the natural need to ask what happens when others are allowed this lie and what makes their free expression more important than what we desire. Even if their issue is intense body dysphoria, which I imagine is painful, why does the emotional pain of a few trump what it means to be human? Right now, women are losing their rights to sexual privacy. Rape crisis centers , domestic violence shelters, women’s homeless shelters, change rooms, and bathrooms are being adapted to sex-neutral spaces that allow biological males. This is a safety issue, yet it’s being completely ignored to accommodate a few men. More importantly, it’s an attempt to violate and deconstruct the boundaries that makes us a sexually dimorphic species. Women bleed. They menstruate. They have to remove clothing to urinate and change menstrual products. They breastfeed. They carry babies. They have bodily needs that men do not have, and their bodies should not be privy to men without permission. Danger is a secondary, though not inconsequential, issue. Boundaries are important for structure over chaos, for privacy, for safety, and for wholeness. Why is respect for the boundary of sex being eroded and coded into law? Women’s sports are no longer women’s sports if men claiming a different gender expression are granted access. So far, we are not reordering society for those who are blind or deaf, though there are a lot more of them than those referring to themselves as “transgendered.” Yet women’s organizations, birthing centers , and health facilities are rearranging language that deconstructs female biology into parts, purportedly so women who choose to alter their sex markers feel comfortable. Lesbians are encountering more males claiming to be women than they are women on their own dating sites. Men are being offered not just the sexually objectified women of their dreams on their sports magazine covers, but the drugged and surgically adapted male to look like the sexually objectified female of their dreams. This is all being normalized at a rapid pace. In medicine , law , language , and crime statistics , there is chaos. This is the point of the gender identity industry. Society is being sold a bill of goods by the corporate state, which is following technological advancement over a cliff. The media outlet Market Watch has stated clearly that the rise of medical procedures to change sex markers is due to the technological ability to do so . The technology creates the demand, not the other way around. This corporate bill of goods wants to make a human right out of a crime against humanity, out of a eugenicist pursuit of changing human biology, until what we are is beyond human, or inhuman. Martine Rothblatt, founding father of the transgender empire, self-identified “transgender woman,” and renowned transhumanist, in 2016 spoke at the Trans History Forward Movement conference in British Columbia. The conference was organized by the Transgender Chair at the University of Victoria (a position—first of its kind—purchased by another rich, powerful man claiming to be a woman ). Rothblatt suggested that techno-transhumanists attempt to use the same procedures as techno-transgenders to make legal changes allowing for alterations to human biology . The implication is clear: Rothblatt and some of the richest and most powerful men in the world—like Bill Gates , Ray Kurzweil, Peter Diamandis , Elon Musk and others—are willing to sacrifice our reality as a sexually dimorphic species to their technological and megalomaniacal eugenicism. As they do so, it behooves us to consider the conflation of superficial changes to our bodies with changing who and what we are. Jennifer Bilek is an investigative journalist, artist, and concerned citizen. She has been following the money behind the transgender agenda for six years. She blogs at the 11th Hour.


We must protect our transgender youth - thank you

Thank you for taking the very important steps to protect our transgender youth!!


Support parents and Oppose this legislation

I encourage opposition to this legislation that would substitute school officials for parents in raising and protecting their children.  The nefarious nature of the legislation is disclosed by the provisions for concealing information from parents.  Parents need to be informed of the attempts of people who seek to intrude on the privacy of restroom facilities of members of the other sex.  Furthermore, parents must be advised of “any incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying,” not just those that are not resolved at the school.


Opposed 100% leave these kids alone let them grow up than if they want to change so be it.

Leave these kids alone being a kid is hard enough without all of this confusing nonsense. Let them grow up and become an adult than later in life when they are fully grown if they feel they want to change themselves they can. These kids don't know what they really want it are as children that's part of growing up and it's our jobs to get them through but not by pushing these would leftist ideologies on them.


LGBTQ+ in Public Schools

I support the guidance.


Totally OPPOSED to the transgender policy.  Harmful and utterly inappropriate in our schools..

I am totally OPPOSED to the proposed transgender policy.  This is a harmful and utterly inappropriate direction for the Virginia Board of Education.  I have had grandchildren in the Albemarle Co. schools for the last 2 years, and I believe that such a policy would promote gender confusion and anxiety in children, the last thing we ought to create in them.  The fallout from that confusion and anxiety could be enormous, very damaging to them. No doctor or nurse has any doubt about the sex of a newborn.   The DNA is fixed and the genetalia clearly denote a male or female child.  You statement that children are arbitrarily "assigned" a sex at birth is patently false according to medical science. This policy also encourages the schools to keep any transgender student's "new identity" from their parents.  This constitutes gross deception and could be considered malfeasance on the part ot the teacher or principal.  it also encourages children to lead duplicitous lives with their own parents and to learn that to hide truth (or lie) is acceptable. Creating a climate of "safety" and "respect" cannot include boys identifying as girls being allowed to use the girls' bathrooms of gym facilities.  Every sense of modesty and security in the school setting would be violated by such an arrangement.  Schools would not be serving well the clear majority of their families.  Please DO NOT allow this policy.


Protect ALL children

This new effort to force a liberal transgender ideology into all parts of our children's education is an egregious mistake that ultimately divides a community by putting greater value on one student's safety and comfort over another, elevates one political and ideological viewpoint over another ultimately infringing on an individual's religious freedoms, and ultimately puts the wellbeing of our children into the hands of the state. One must ask when they review the proposed policy, why is it that one student who's going through a difficult stage of development and questioning their sex can put an WHOLE class of fellow students in a potentially compromising and awkward situation in our bathrooms and locker-rooms?  I thought we were supposed to consider ALL student equal. One must also ask why the needs of a minority of students, who need very specific and thoughtful help through a difficult time, give license to a school to completely ignore a majority of other's deeply held religious beliefs & needs?  The policy does NOT propose a targeted approach to help a hurting student but a broad remessaging of sexual education in all areas of curriculum that are in direct conflict with MANY student's faith - Muslims, Jews, & Christians- and put students of faith in a position to fear being penalized academically if they don't compromise on their values.  Don't all students need an open place to grow their views and learn to respectfully express their beliefs?  Why is one student's gender struggles being elevated over another student's right to worship freely and feel safe at school? What happened to respecting the parent's authority to raise their children up as they see fit to go into the world?  When did the state come to know better than the parent?  That is a very dangerous precedence to establish no matter who you are.  This is America, not Russia, Romania, China, or any other country that has a total disregard for individual rights.  These children are not state property.  They are beautiful human beings that need to be loved by their parents.  By giving school administration the authority to outright deceive the parent and make any unfounded accusation that the parent is abusive is an horrific disservice to an already hurting child who needs an informed parent to help them grow up strong.  With suicide increasing in middle and high school at an alarming rate, we need parents more engaged and empowered to help their children - NOT shut out! Stop trying to be the parent and focus on teaching students how to learn and grow their minds so they can go far in life!


This is not a teachable school project. Teaching is not mind control. Teaching is math, science, etc

This is not a teachable school "project" by the school board to create on their own. We are talking about a miniscule population that does not need addressing in the schools. Schools are supposed to teach math, English, Science, History, etc. Sexual orientation is not their domain. Period.


Oppose proposed transgender policy

I strongly oppose this heavy handed policy. Teaching math, science, reading, language arts is the school's primary mission, and not promoting gender confusion or excluding parental knowledge and rights (hiding things from parents).. We have an anti bullying policy already. The school systems should not be promoting gender dsyforia.  Accept all students yes, but this is idealogy over science.  The huge majority of students embrace their biological sex by the end of puberty and that's natural as students test and learn about life. It should not be taught in every school grade. Not your mission.


Strongly oppose

I strongly oppose training teachers and teaching Virginia students a more aggressive curriculum about gender identity. Children should be allowed to grow and mature, not be pressured to pick a bender based on politicized jargon taught to them. Gender is assigned by nature, but chosen. Parents are the ultimate stewards of children. The school should NEVER be allowed to hide information from parents. Breaking down families will break down society. Transgender athletes should be required to complete against athletes of the same birth gender. Transgender students should be given the ability to use single-stall restrooms and private locker rooms so that children of opposite biological genders are not together. Please oppose this new curriculum for all our children.


Object to Transgenderism

Here is the way I found the issue stated by The Family Foundation: "The Virginia Department of Education is requiring every single K-12 public school to adopt a policy that essentially mandates promotion of gender confusion to school kids." Assuming this is an accurate summary, I say, "Halt!" People who are mentally ill need to face the fact that they are mentally ill. We should not be asserting that people have a right to be mentally ill. Still less should the state be actively encouraging students to become mentally ill. Educated men must not only keep the moral law in their personal lives; they must see to it that their society keeps the moral law. What we have here is not merely teachers who are failing to teach the moral law, but school systems that are warring against the moral law, and requiring teachers to be accomplices in a campaign to overthrow the moral law. And, people are not only warring against the moral law; people are warring against the elementary facts of biology! Halt!


Strongly Oppose

So harmful to children and encourages lying to parents


Melissa Logan,  New Beginnings Baptist Church,  Precious Paws Dog & Cat Gro

Oppose Transgender

I oppose transgender in public schools.  This is not right and we should be teaching to recieve an education.  If we stop taking history out of school and focus on passing SOLs, and helping our children out we wouldnt have a lot of problems like we do. We also need to stop worrying about who's feeling we hurt and stop focusing on personal matters that should be taught at home. If you are going to worry about hurting others feelings and choices, I want bibles back in schools, the pledge of allegiance and the list goes on and on.


Strongly Oppose!!

It is unconstitutional to enforce this mandate! We strongly oppose this!!


Strongly oppose transgender Ed and bathroom/locker sharing between sexes

I strongly oppose public schools promoting transgender education, bathroom sharing between sexes, and transgenders being able to play sports on opposite sex teams. It’s is damaging and unfair! Allowing boys into girls locker rooms and bathrooms without questioning them is risky and just a bad idea. It puts girls in a vulnerable position for being taken advantage of and possibly raped. It’s insanity!


Oppose transgender Ed and shared restroom/lockers

I strongly oppose public schools providing transgender education, sharing restrooms and locker between sexes, and transgenders being able to play sports on opposite sex teams. Allowing boys into girls locker rooms and bathrooms without questioning them is a very bad idea. It puts girls in a vulnerable position for being taken advantage of and possibly raped. I will never send my daughters to public schools as long as this practice is condoned!


Gender Identity Policies in VA public Schools

As a former teacher, I strongly OPPOSE this legislation. It is anti-God, anti-family, and anti-American!


Totally Oppose Transgender Education

I TOTALLY oppose teaching transgender education in our schools.  Schools should be teaching math, science, English, etc., not sex education. This transgender education would go against many families’ beliefs and oppose the training they receive at home.  I am also VERY concerned about the safety of our children when boys who identify as girls would be allowed in the girls’ bathrooms. Please DO NOT allow this policy.


OPPOSE - it is a based on a lie

Everyone is born either a male or a female. You can cut off body parts or reconstruct body parts, but you cannot change the DNA of a person - it is in every cell of your body. This policy runs counter to God's Word. It is a lie - you are condemning these children to a failed life based on lies. The underlying psychological problems need to be addressed in a constructive way. This policy would "protect" transgender children (the minority), but harm the other children (majority). You can't base policy on a very small minority of dysfunctional children. God created every single one of our children in His image - He knitted them together in their mothers' wombs and has a plan for each one. He created us male and female with very specific characteristics. Going against God's design is not a wise thing to do.


The impact on special needs children

We have two special needs children, one with an intellectual disorder.  I don't believe there has been thought about how this legislation will affect children like mine who have special needs and do not understand nuances.  It is very difficult for my children to understand concepts that are not black and white. This topic is particularly confusing for them. They do not understand the concept of a child who appears to be a boy using a girls bathroom or locker room, or vice versa.  The confusion and distress that this policy will cause certain children with special needs - even if you attempt to educate them about the intent of the legislation - needs to be considered.  I have heard people say that children who have special needs and cannot understand the concept of a child of a different biological sex sharing a private space like a bathroom or locker room, should simply have an IEP that allows them to use a separate bathroom by themselves.  But why should special needs kids be segregated to make them feel more comfortable?  Segregation is in fact discrimination for special needs kids.  This presents a dilemma that needs to be addressed. Thank you.


Oppose Gender equality in public schools

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


Strongly opposed - teach the basics - stop the indoctrination

Our kids should be taught basic reading, writing and arithmetic. Taught skills not someone else’s philosophy,


Strongly Oppose

I strongly OPPOSE this legislation. It is anti-God, anti-family, and anti-American! Virginia legislators it’s time that you start listening to your constituents, the people you are supposed to be serving, not political agendas or organizations!


Transgender K-12

No, no no! This is not education- it is indoctrination. Teach real HISTORY and MATH and ENGLISH.


Strongly oppose

that government officials do not have a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools and jeopardize the bodily privacy and safety of our children.


Strong support for this policy!

For children, the Virginia public school system provides an education as well as a support system. In their adolescent years, children are still in the process of learning who they are, and it is of the utmost importance that they feel safe to express themselves without judgement or criticism from educators, counselors, or peers. This policy will change absolutely nothing for the majority of students, but it has the capacity to change the world for those that identify as transgender. Research has clearly demonstrated that providing children with such an environment decreases prevalence of depression and anxiety in children. In fact, the guidelines of this report are directly in line with recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I commend the Department of Education on taking this step towards ensuring that Virginia public schools are welcoming, safe, and supportive for all students.


Strongly Appose

As a parent and taxpayer, I am writing to inform you that I strongly appose the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document.


Oppose K-12 transgender changes

I strongly oppose the proposed FCPS K-12 transgender changes. These are family decisions not governments. There are policies in place for anti bullying but the teaching/promoting and keeping parents out of decisions that may alter a child’s life forever is abhorrent.


Fredericksburg Virginia Patriots (nonpartisan organization)

Transgender policy

I oppose government officials having a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools, and jeopardize the privacy and safety of our children.


OPPOSE The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools

I am very strongly OPPOSED to The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document, developed in response to House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, which directed the Virginia Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools. These guidelines address common issues regarding transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to: compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students; prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; maintenance of student records; identification of students; protection of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and student participation in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities. This policy is very harmful to the parent-child relationship. It undermines fundamental, basic trust of the child-parent relationship, by encouraging the child keep secrets from parents. It causes harm to young children that deserve basic respect and opportunity to change, dress and attend to bathroom requirements without the opposite sex present (boys watching girls, girls in presence of boys). This policy is such overreach, on the part of the public school education system, it's hard to state the full extent of harmful, negative ramifications of this policy.  I cannot stress enough the extent of my opposition to this policy guidance.


Strongly oppose

Government officials do not have a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools, and jeapardize the privacy and safety of our children


Totally oppose

God's word is truth!!!


Strongly SUPPORT equity for trans youth

I have 2 cisgender children enrolled in Virginia public schools and I strongly support protecting trans youth. Virginia must provide them with equitable and just treatment, including let them play sports and use the bathroom that coincides with their authentic gender identity. There are already so many forms of discrimination trans youth face. Creating policies that target their humanity and make them feel less than do not need to come from the schools. We need to protect and uplift them to show all children the value in diversity in all its forms. Sincerely, Lena S.


Transgender and bathrooms

Why are we making an issue of bathrooms for a super minority of kids? Why do my grandchildren have to be bombarded with this confusion. The fact is biologically girls are girls and boys are boys. I am thoroughly distraught. My grandchildren are in 3rd and 6th grade and they do not understand any of this as well they shouldn’t. Shame on whomever has brought this to the floor.


Strongly opposed.

I believed government and schools  should implement a choice for transgender kids to build a bathroom for them.


Strongly Support trans students

I strongly support requirements that schools support trans students and protect them from bullying from peers and adults in the school system. This policy is a good start.


Strongly oppose teaching that contradicts biology

I strongly oppose public schools promoting transgender education.  Biology and science matters and it contradicts the notion that boys can be girls and vice versa. I also oppose public schools promoting, celebrating, and allowing the sharing of bathrooms, locker rooms, beds on field trips between sexes, and gender confused children being able to play sports on opposite sex teams. It’s damaging and HARMFUL to all children.  We need to compassionately care for gender confused children without harming other children.  Allowing boys into girls locker rooms, bathrooms, and hotel rooms without questioning them is risky and will hurt girls. It puts all girls in a vulnerable position for being taken advantage of and possibly raped. CommentID: 91783


Strongly support

Strongly support allowing transgender students to use the restaurant in line with their gender. also support henderles bathrooms with stalls so that it won’t matter and to remove stigma


Strongly support!!

Equality in our schools is key to providing a safe learning environment. Everyone is different and unique and it is those differences that together make us such a great community. We need to support all students and make all feel welcome, which this policy will do. I implore you to support it. Thank you.


Very strongly opposed

This is absolutely wrong on so many levels!  Opposed!


School Policies

Govt. officials do not have a public mandate to enforce gender promotion in all taxpayer funded schools. There has to be a balance and make sure that body privacy and safety are done for all kids.


Strongly Oppose

I strongly oppose the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia's Public Schools. Gender Dysphoria should be treated as such.  It is irresponsible as well as reprehensible to accommodate, promote, celebrate or force such confusion on taxpayers and most certainly not on our children. This is not a matter of equality.  It is a matter of simple biology and healthy psychology.  This does not mean to ignore those who suffer or encourage maltreatment of those affected.  It means address the dysfunction as such and give help. These proposed policies do not help; they hinder and deceive... all at the expense of the children.   Our society can not survive if we are duped into promoting deception of nature.  Lord, have mercy.


Support Model Policies. Protect Children From Being Harassed/Discriminated Against By Adults

Re: Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools, GDoc_DOE_4683_20201208.pdf A number of comments here seem deeply misinformed. They insist that schools should stick to teaching "math and science" and avoid teaching "[someone else's] philosophy" - the thing is, there's nothing in the policy about having any kind of class, for students, about transgender students. The only classes mentioned are for school staff. With that aside - I think all of these comments demonstrate why there is such a strong need for these model policies. So many commenters are opposing guidance intended to protect actual children from bullying and harassment, including harassment by adults they should be able to trust! And in many cases they are doing it based not on having actually read the policies, but purely out of an instant disgust. I don't need to provide the stats of the effect this attitude has on transgender children - they're already in the policy document. I would just like to re-emphasize how much of a difference it makes to a trans student to have a supportive environment at school, when they may very well not have one at home or elsewhere. Even if they do have a supportive environment elsewhere - it can only be for the better to try to prevent harassment at schools and let children focus on learning!


Transgender policy

This new transgender policy is evil. It also does not give non transgender students the right to private bathroom facilities without worrying about someone bullying them or embarrassing them. Taking away rights from parents talking to their child about the gender that they were born with is absurd!  I will worry constantly that my 3 granddaughters will not be safe when they need to go to the restroom at school. Please let common sense and decency prevail.


Transgender Policy

The proposed transgender policy is an assault on the freedom of non-transgender students.  By allowing transgender students the ability to use either male or female bathrooms, depending on their choice, takes away the freedom of privacy that students have had for generations of school participation.  Please do not support the proposed policy which infringes on the rights of students who want to continue the tradition of having bathroom privacy from the opposite sex.  The simple solution is to build a transgender bathroom instead of extending transgender students bathroom privileges to male and female facilities


Oppose

Firmly oppose


I strongly oppose this in school systems what so ever

I strongly oppose this in the school system what so ever.


I strongly oppose the transgender model policies

I am strongly opposed to the transgender model policies Virginia public school system. There is absolutely no concern for any of the students which by the way are the majority who are not transgender. There is nothing in these policies regarding their concerns or well-being. Since when in this country do a few determine how the majority live? This is strictly political and has no common sense behind it at all. You represent all the children not just a few who are transgender. And the concept that you know best for the children and not their parents is absolute insanity. You have absolutely no right to be on a school board when you seek to control other peoples children.


Concerned teacher

As a mom and teacher, I am appalled by these changes. Children should be guided into truth not being allowed to make up these thoughts for themselves and change daily


Pure Child Abuse

In regard to "Julian Wants to Be a Mermaid" and Abby's experience: It is pure child abuse by promoting propaganda in a classroom that is contrary to science. To indoctrinate the most innocent among us in sexual ambiguous philosophy and confuse them against the natural way is concerning at the very least. Teaching children about their sexuality is a parents' responsibility, not the public school systems'. Absolute abuse of power.


Oppose Transgender Restrooms

I am opposed to shared restrooms.  I do not wish for the school system to impose a belief they deem as socially acceptable on my child/grandchildren.  My child is a minor in the eyes of the law.  I should be able to have a voice in my child's well being in the school system as well.


Strongly oppose

These new propositions are highly discouraged to be implemented policy. Not only are these confusing for children and students, but it puts our children at risk. There is no way that this is safe for our students and those who are already subject to sexual abuse at home are now at risk for the same type of abuse at school. The doors this policy opens are not doors of inclusivity, but doors of terror. The 1% of people in the world who identity at transgender or fluid gender do not reserve the right to subject the other 99%+ to their behavior.


Strongly oppose

Completely inappropriate. Perpetuating more confusion in the minds of those who are unable/too immature to make sound decisions on their own behalf.


This is child abuse

Prepare for lawsuits subjecting children to abuse. The doors this will open cannot be closed. Be prepared


Overstepping

"...in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities." So girls will be pushed to losing scholarships and accolades in their sports (the new progressive misogyny) and forced to see male anatomy (and showing theirs to biological males) in bathrooms and locker rooms, and students & staff will be subjected to disciplinary action if accidentally saying a pronoun that is "offensive" either if by mistake or out of their comfort zone because it goes against all their human senses. I think everyone has the same rights. Even non-trans. The percentage does not warrant legislation and is highly intrusive. Kids are more aware and kind now. This is overstepping and NOT okay.


Oppose

Prepare for parents to remove their kids and lay off all of your educators!!


Transgender Policy

I am extremely disappointed that these policies have even been written let alone considered. I am not opposed to people who have decided to change who they are, I do however have a problem pushing this in the school system. What has our world come to? I don't even feel safe with my friends kids going to school if this passes.


Strongly oppose VDOE proposed transgender policies

This proposal removes parents' rights to guide their children and encourages children to keep secrets from their parents. Children with gender confusion need loving and caring support, not interventions designed by distant bureaucrats who do not know the child. Please reject this proposal!