Amy V., mother of VA public school students

Strongly approve! All I want is a school my kids aren't afraid to go to.

I am the mother of a non-binary high school student and a gay middle school student, in a rural district. They did not choose to be people that are so discriminated against by some of our society. I'm sure like anyone, they would have chosen the path that is easier, if they could have. Neither my husband or I chose this path for them, but we support them because THIS IS WHO THEY ARE. The suggestion that we or any parents "make" our children "this way" is ridiculous. I can't even make my kids eat vegetables most of the time, yet I am making them assume a gender identity or sexual orientation they don't want? Give me a break. My kids don't want to "convert" anyone, they simply want to be free of bullying and harrassment, and be able to learn. So far, they have both been bullied and harassed by other students, to the point they hate going to school. None of the things proposed here take ANYTHING away from other kids, they just help the kids that need it. What are the arguments against it? "My child should be free to bully your child because of their gender!" "My child is uncomfortable around your gay child because I've taught them to hate gay people! So your child should have to leave school!" "I enjoy forcing my religious beliefs on my students by telling them their existence is offensive to God! I don't like being prevented from doing that!" "I want to publicly humiliate my students by calling them a name or pronoun that I've been specifically asked not to use!" This is what the "against" comments I've read are really saying, once you look past the dogwhistles and pat phrases that come from extreme right-wing media. As a mother, all I want is a school my kids can actually learn at, because they aren't afraid to be there. Your kid doesn't have to date my kid, hang out with my kid, or like my kid. Your kid just needs to leave my kid the hell alone, and let them learn.


ban conversion therapy

I totally support  banning conversion therapy.


model policies

SUPPORT model policies


Oppose this transgender legislation

Throughout this proposed legislation, there are statements which do not allow for parents to be engaged or notified. Our children are not your children.  Public schools only exist because taxpayers fund them. You are funded to provide an educational model. You do not exist to show bias toward some families. You suggest that the parents who are "on board" with letting their children identify with a different gender have full rights to communication and information about their child, but those parents who do not agree, do not. That is a very slippery slope that could not end well in a court of law or the ultimate welfare of our children. My children are my children FOREVER. They are on loan to you for a few years of their life. Secrecy is unwise in any stage of development and you are reinforcing an untrue rhetoric that parents who have a different worldview cannot be trusted by their own children. I strongly oppose this legislation.


Strongly support this guidance on gender-diverse policy

As a mother to two Virginia children, I strongly support policies which are inclusive of diversity.  Embracing our gender-diverse friends is more than just compassionate--it's a human rights issue. Requiring each school board and administration to develop working policies in this sphere is absolutely essential to keeping all of our children safe.  I appreciate the hard work and time which went into this document.  Thank you.


Jennifer Gallienne Virgina League for Planned Parenthood,

AS A SOCIAL WORKER I FULLY SUPPORT

As a master level social worker in the State of Virginia, I  support these model policies for LGBTQ students in Virginia. It is essential that children and youth  be able to learn without suffering discrimination or harassment. A recent study found that over 70% of gay or transgender kids received threats because of their identity.   According to the Trevor Project  LGBTQ youth are FIVE times more liekly to attempt suicide than their heterosexual cisgender peers. I know the reality of these stastics as I currently work with Trans and Non-binary patients accessing gender affirming medical care, many of whom are still in Virginia public schools. I also spent many years working with LGBTQ youth as a volunteer at Side by Side, a non-profit organization in Virginia that creates supportive communities for LGBTQ youth where youth can define themselves, belong, and flourish. Here I also saw the need for Virginia schools to have model policies to protect LGBTQ youth as many of the youth experienced bullying/harassment/ and discrimination. These policies will promote the critical goal of keeping students safe to the best of our abilities. Schools have a moral and legal obligation to protect their students from this kind of harassment at school. These policies are necessary. The policies lay out how schools can prevent gender-based harassment or address it effectively to support and protect students if harassment occurs. These policies will help transgender students feel safe and respected at school, which is necessary for them to have equal access to education.


School Divisions Need Guidance - Fully Support

Discovering your gender identity can be one of the most difficult challenges facing students who do not ascribe to heterosexual labels for self-identity. LGBTQ+ students face particular challenges in life that non-identifying persons can find difficult to understand. Some of the comments here suggest as much. By providing clear guidance as you have for the benefit of school boards and leaders in the Commonwealth, schools can be a safer space for these students. Thank you for your work on researching this topic and providing guidance with clear language.


Oppose/ Parent

I am highly  opposed to the actions under  consideration.   All of these  clauses  directly  discriminate  against the rights  of those that are not transgenders. The thought  that my child would be forced  to go to the bathroom  with the opposite sex is against their  privacy. Set up separate  bathrooms  for those  children. The fact that a child can make  a decision  to choose  their  gender  and not tell the parent is ridiculous. Our children  are already  walking around confused  as they  are  asked  to accept teachers, falculty, and the world in their choice  to live alternative  lifeatyles. Thia is clearly  against some peoples religious  beliefs. Our children  are  already  stressed  out. We do not need  additional  pressure  put on them. These  suggestions  are not good. I STRONGLY  OPPOSE.


Oppose bathroom/lockerroom

I am completely against allowing anyone to enter whatever bathroom or lockerroom without question. Boys can go into girls lockerroom by simply saying "i feel like a girl". If there is a serious concern about transgender kids not feeling safe in the bathroom of their x or y chromosome dna, then build a THIRD bathroom and lockerroom. So my daughter doesnt have to worry about random boys coming in.


Strongly Support

As a teacher, I strongly support this.


Oppose transgender legislation

I strongly oppose transgender legislation why would I make my grandson uncomfortable going to bathrooms etc to a minority happy


Protect Trans Kids Now

Transgender children are one of the most vulnerable populations of people in this country, and in the world. I only recently graduated high school, and recently saw and experienced the detrimental effects an unsupportive school environment can have on trans youth. Any and all protections (including using their preferred names and pronouns at all times, allowing them to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity, and ensuring protection against bullying) for them should absolutely be put in place immediately. It is ridiculous to believe that transgender children being able to out and safe within their own schools poses harm to cisgender children. Quite the opposite is true- without concrete protections, transgender children are at risk of bullying and violence from their cisgender peers, as well as from teachers, administration, and other faculty and staff. Anyone feeling threatened by this bill may believe they have the best interest of schoolchildren at heart, but the protection of ALL children, including trans children, is essential for fostering a safe and supportive school environment that is conducive to learning and community building.


Strongly Support

This policy would help so many young people feel safe in their school environment. They should be allowed to use bathrooms that correspond with how they identify, they should feel that their identity is not questioned and that they can be respected by their peers. It's such an easy change that means so much to these kids and adults alike. This issue is all about respect and it's time to respect their choices and wishes. It's not right to try to change who they are.


In reading some of the other comments on this page, I am reminded of a prominent quote of the American civil rights movement- "When you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." Some seem to think that the mere recognition and protection of transgender individuals is a personal attack on them and their children, despite no such language existing in the document. As a student in the Virginia public school system who has met transgender students, I can attest that they are unsurprisingly human beings, and kind, intelligent ones at that. They are not "mentally ill", and it is that exact harassment that we are trying to protect them from. I am surprised at the self-proclaimed Christians who support and engage in such un-Christlike behavior. It seems that Jesus would respect these individuals and their right to exist the same as everybody else, would he not? Confronting bigoted and mean-spirited world views with protections for those they dislike is not oppression. It is the equality preached by the Christian God and guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States. If it was not clear already, I am in full support.


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

I write in support of Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools, based on Equality Virginia's support of the Model Policies and my own review of the document. I'd note that in addition to the Title VII citation in "Related Laws," the President's recent Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation (January 20, 2021), might add more legal context or support for that citation, at least for public schools receiving federal funds. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-preventing-and-combating-discrimination-on-basis-of-gender-identity-or-sexual-orientation/


I am very against this bill - parents should know when their children are thinking of transitioning!

I am very against this bill.  It undermines parents.  They should be the ones in control of their children’s lives.  If the schools can keep a child’s interest in and progress in transitioning a secret from his or her parents, it seems to me that the parents’ rights regarding that child are being subverted.  Parents are the most important people in a child’s life because they love that child!  No child should be in any way encouraged to transition behind his or her parents’ backs.  Besides, it is immoral to do so.


Oppose - referendum

Oppose - referendum


Strongly Opposed

These proposals are harmful to all children.  To restrict children from using pronouns that accurately refer to the biological gender of another person is harmful to all children.  To require children to use pronouns that are contrary to biological gender is harmful to all children.  To permit children who are of differing biological genders to use a single facility for personal bodily activities or to be present while others dress and undress is harmful to ALL children.  To follow politically popular positions that are harmful to the body politic, and especially to children, is not only irresponsible but grievously morally wrong.


Strongly support!

I strongly support the protection of transgender students!


Support statement

I absolutely support this as a parent to three children and as the CEO of SHAPE America, the national nonprofit serving as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education teachers.


NO NO NO

This is disgraceful and absurd


Strongly Oppose

As a mother of a child who was bullied almost to the point of suicide, I definitely understand that bullying and mistreatment for any reason is wrong; however, to further separate transgender and LGBTQ students into yet another group for protection will not ultimately help those students it aims to protect.  This kind of legislation will further divide those who truly want to help these students and those who believe that these tendencies, though very real in many cases, should not be acted upon.  In addition, I believe there are many ways that local school boards can address their specific student needs without forcing the issue of allowing transgender students to use their restroom of choice or normalizing this behavior in curriculum for those families that absolutely disagree with this lifestyle.  The school is not the place for this kind of education.  It is within the home.  If this kind of curriculum is imposed, I believe that the default should be to be opted OUT and not into it.


Strongly support

A child is still a child regardless of their gender expression. Who has the right to say which children should receive support over others? No one. Support trans youth.


Support

I support the guidance.


Policy re: transgender public school

As a grandparent, I strongly oppose the policy on transgender.


Strongly Opposed

Stop pushing your beliefs on the public.


Policy re: transgender public school


Strongly DISagree!

I cannot state strongly enough how much with this document I disagree. First, many kids are not even currently attending school in person. They are FAILING because of remote learning. Therefore, pronouns are not the most pressing issue in their education. I have lgbtq family members, friends and colleagues and heartily support them. I spoke with several before logging on here to inquire as to their opinions/stance on these matters. They agree with me that this document is appropriate at this time when students are failing. The document incorrectly, and, detrimentally, places more emphasis on pronouns than education. The document is confusing, convoluted and demands punishment for 'honest mistakes'. Too much is being attempted at once, no less, by force, which is never a successful approach. You can't 'legislate' thought, perception, acceptance. Especially, when it comes across as FORCE. I have a feeling no matter what anyone types, you'll ram this through because you feel entitled to engage in social engineering. I am sure it will not have the result you intend, but that action will have consequences.


Strongly Oppose Child Abusive Transgender Guidelines

It is child abuse to affirm or persuade those under 18 to take actions that may cause long lasting or permenant body or psychological harm.  Super vast majority outgrow their gender confusion or angst without any harm done.  Your guidelines do more harm than good.  They are also an abuse of power against religious people opposed to affirming such behaviors.


No transgender promotion in schools-it is confusing for the majority while helping only a few

99.9% of the student body should not be subjected to transgender and sexual identity issues that exist for a 10th of the population. It is wrong to force these issues onto the majority that does not have identity issues of the minority & only confuses the population who do not have these identity issues. Having the entirety of a population have to contend with the wishes of a small number of people with a deviating purpose/view/agenda, is absurd. Equality should be promoted but one’s sexuality and identity should not become a forced agenda in schools, and certainly not schools paid for by the tax payer. Sexuality and gender identity issues can be dealt with and handled privately at home, and using  counseling services offered publicly or in the schools, but should not become a part of the classroom and curriculum. Children are developing and growing,  and their brains aren’t fully developed until well after high school. For this reason, confusing and subjective information about gender and identity should not be pushed in schools. This is not fodder for children. It is private and personal and should be dealt with as such, not promoted publicly in a space where children should be safe and not made to feel uncertain and singled out. Again, 99.9% of the student body should not be subjected to transgender and sexual identity issues that exist for a 10th of the population. It is wrong to force these issues onto the population that does not have identity issues.


Strong Support

I support this initiative. We need equity for all students.


Strongly Support

Strongly Support


Strongly Support

Strongly support!


Strongly oppose

This is absolutely disgusting thinking about CHILDREN changing in front of the opposite sex and running around topless.  These are little  BOYS and GIRLS. Do this inside your home, not out in public especially at school. I will take my son out of school and I will homeschool my daughter when it comes time. What is wrong with these adult thinking it's okay to do this? This world is so messed up now


Strongly support

Strongly Support


Transgender policy in public schools

I am very concerned about the safety of our children and their vulnerability to sex trafficking


Strongly oppose


Supported

supported.  Protect all students.  The first step is education and safety.  If our children have the chance to learn, they have the chance to understand.


Oppose vaguely worded document

It's time you educators stopped and rethought your transgender rules in our public schools.  There is no place for boys, even if they "feel" they are girls, belong participating in girls' sports or using girls' restrooms. After years of fighting for Title 9 and equality you will destroy female sports forever Sincerely, Bob Ryan


Strongly oppose!

I am so disturbed by the way our Virginia government is trying to destroy community instead of bringing us together. This is atrocious!


Concerned Citizen

It is imperative that all students are afforded an education in the Commonwealth of Virginia regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.  The Virginia General Assembly has passed work place protections for the LGBTQ+ community.  I was raised by a public educator and I was always told that school was my job as a student.  Therefor those same protections that our General Assembly passed should be afforded to our students as they are going to school, which is their version of a job.  Also the Supreme Court Ruled in 2020 that Title VII protections extend to the LGBTQ+ community and there has been a close connection between Title VII and Title IX rulings over the year. Please take this as my support for providing a safe space for our Transgender, Nonbinary, and Queer students to attend Virginia public schools.


OPPOSED

OPPOSED/ not biologically fact or science based


Support

“I want to make sure that people understand that, behind this national conversation around transgender rights, there are real people who hurt when they're mocked, who hurt when they're discriminated against, and who just want to be treated with dignity and respect.” - Sarah McBride


I strongly oppose

To even think about supporting this bill is absolutely absurd.


Strongly Support

I am simply tired of debating human rights.


Strongly Support

I am in full support!


Fully Support

I fully support the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools. I believe it is incredibly important to create policies that will protect, support , validate and help trans students in school. I hope you will take this opportunity to help create a safer environment for trans students to understand and be unapologetically themselves. I also hope you will create an environment that will not tolerate hate, discrimination, or the denial of a student’s identity. Being transgender is very real. Please support your trans students.


Opposed

strongly opposed to this.


Strongly OPPOSE

We believe in the dignity of life, and we believe in biological differences that have existed since the beginning of human existence. God created male and female. There is nothing in between. Please protect our children from the false ideology that is infiltrating our society. That is why we STRONGLY OPPOSE these mandates to teach false information to our children.


Support from a former student

As a former VA public school student and a sibling of a transgender former student, I fully support the proposed policies. Growing up while trying to balance fitting in and being true to yourself is hard enough. These kids are so brave to be their authentic selves, at the risk of being bullied and the difficulties of navigating a  system designed for two genders. Putting policies of protection in place can only help to ensure that our school systems are not the reason for more distress in the lives of these young people. For every transgender or non-conforming child, there are dozens of students who have the opportunity to see acceptance and allyship modeled by teachers and administrators, facilitated by these policies. As the parent of a child with Down syndrome, I know that society has come a long way from a policy of institutionalization to inclusion. We now know the immense benefits of integrating children with special needs into classrooms with their typically-developing peers, and they continue to break barriers every day. I can only hope that one day we will look back on policies such as those proposed here and recognize the positive effect they have had on students’ mental health and their ability to thrive.


Strongly oppose!

As a parent and educator this is terrifying. Teachers are being set up to be manipulated, and possibly lose their jobs. Students can now change their identity literally every hour, and it’s ok??? Teachers have a job to do, and that is to focus on reading, writing, math, history, and science! Their job is not to fret over calling students the wrong pronoun or name! Sadly, I see many girls (transgender girls included) being sexually abused! There is not enough staff at these schools to monitor ever bathroom and locker room the entire day! I have two daughter’s, and we will move to a private school for their safety. I won’t even get into girls’ sports. Girls are going to get severely injured in contact sports!!!


I strongly oppose.

I strongly oppose.


Strongly Support!!

Trans rights are human rights. Everyone deserves to be in a place where others are not hostile to their existence.


protect trans kids now!

protect trans kids now!


Strongly Support

Even children have the right to self-determination. It is our responsibility to treat everyone respectfully which includes allowing others to receive the respect of being treated as who they wholly believe they are. Who are we to judge and tell another person what or who they are?


SOS: Support Our Students

Transgender students are students and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect just like any other child. I am not transgender, but I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Growing up LGBTQ+ is difficult, even with a solid support system. Ensuring our transgender students feel safe, supported, and included is just one of the steps we should be taking on behalf of our Commonwealth's students.


Strongly support!

It is beyond time that we continue to bolster our support of the LGBTQIA+ community. This includes creating safe and inclusive environments for children in our schools. Simply put we all deserve the consideration of others when it comes to our humanity, including in our schools. My support of this bill is built on this belief.


Oppose

Virginia transgender initiative parents can be charged with abuse or neglect if they encourage their child’s god given sex is an outrage.


SUPPORT #makeanoppositionarguementwithoutusinggodchallange

You can’t make an opposition argument without using God. Fortunately I believe in separation of Church and State like a REAL American. (disclaimer: the public education system is definitely part of the state)


recommendations for safe, inclusive educating environment

In reference to VA Dept of Education's consideration of "Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools" These model policies have the noble intent to protect children from harm and provide a caring, inclusive environment in which children can learn and grow.  However, these policies do not acknowledge the noble intent that the vast majority of parents have to protect, love, and nurture our children to realize their full potential and impact our world for good.  These model policies presume that loving parents who are trying to guide their child through exploration of gender identity alternatives in a way that is consistent with their family values and religious beliefs are by definition efforts to harm an assumed transgender child, and therefore grounds for the state to legally intervene.  This is an overreach of the state’s and the school system’s authority to interfere with several protected liberties regarding speech, religion, privacy, and others. The Department of Education needs to demonstrate a higher standard to “follow the science” in consideration of these policy changes.  The evidence offered to support these recommendations is predominantly anecdotal and often narrowly supported by one-sided, subjective opinions or conclusions.  The supportive evidence lacks the rigor of the scientific method intended to remove, or at least counter, subjective bias, and it fails to equitably acknowledge study’s and scenarios that have reached opposing conclusions. These policies and guidelines as written are overly biased to advantage one minority people group to the potential detriment of the majority of the student body.  For example, page 7 under related laws, makes a reference to the “First Amendment: The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and expression.”  The Department of Education saw fit to include a clarifying statement “Schools may not prevent students from expressing their identity.”  However, there is a notable omission that the First Amendment also protects students rights to express legally protected religious convictions or doctrine.  Further, much of the policy guidance included herein goes further to create a toxic environment where neither students nor tax-payer parents would be free to express legally protected religious convictions on the subject of sex from fear of the penalties enumerated in this document or the more restrictive derived documents that the respective school boards are encouraged to enact. Page 13 issues a veiled threat that Child Protective Services should be used to remove a child from a family “Whenever school personnel suspects or becomes aware that a student is being abused, neglected, or at risk of abuse or neglect by their parent due to their transgender identity,” but fails to define what constitutes being abused, neglected, or at risk of abuse or neglect.  It is evident from the guidance within the entire document that school personel could subjectively interpret that parents exercising protected religious freedoms or doing things like refusing to buy their children a certain style of clothes could warrant notification to CPS of suspected abuse or neglect.  It is a slippery slope, and this policy could easily result in unlawful harassment or worse.  If this was not the intent, the language should be modified to meticulously define these terms and overtly affirm the Dept of Education's commitment to protect all students’ and parents’ rights to free speech, religion, and privacy. The overuse of terms like “fluidity” create too much opportunity for misuse and abuse of the policies and guidelines by fellow students or school representatives who wish to unduly influence developing students or even cause students harm.  The overreaching assurance of secrecy this policy offers to these minors from legal, loving guardians creates intimate bonds with school officials that could be, and often is, exploited with malicious intent, and it shifts the responsibility of imparting moral values away from parents and into the school system.  It also creates an intentionally secret platform from parents that could be used to indoctrinate gender confusion in students who would not otherwise have transgender inclinations. The charter of the school system should remain to educate children based on facts.  This policy as written is contrary to the constitutionally protected religious freedoms which allow citizens to impart family values that are consistent with their protected religious belief systems. Page 6: terminology includes a misleading definition of “sex assignment” that is offensive.  Recommend changing to “Identified Sex at birth.”  Sex is identified at birth through objective observations of physical characteristics and as defined in the vast majority of the world’s modern languages.  It is not in fact a label “typically assigned” on the noted basis, nor is it arbitrarily applied by the medical professionals who diligently and scientifically support the birth process.


Strongly oppose

Strongly oppose


Yes

I strongly agree to allow trans protection in public schools. Being trans is not a choice and trans youth deserve to learn in an environment that caters to their growth as both a student and a person. This also allows other students to see that there are different types of people that truly exist in the real world. There is nothing wrong with living in one's truth and being yourself. Being trans is not wrong, protecting trans youth is not wrong. These children deserve to be safe just like any other child in the public school system.


PROTECT TRANS KIDS

SUPPORT TRANS KIDS. It’s absolutely ridiculous that we are failing at protecting our own kids regardless of gender identity.


Completely support!

I strongly support this!


I very much disagree

As a parent of children in rockingham county and va school systems, i have been very proud to have my children in these school systems through out the years, I brag on behalf of the quality of education and respect and love that I feel that they have been provided with.  So it will be very unfortunate if this decision is made on behalf of the school system in VA. I do not have any problem with children being transgender.  And I feel like this is a topic that many people don't fully understand. I am a hairstylist and a client of mine has expressed her full journey in this situation of being born a deaf little boy and transforming into a woman as a adult.  Her story broke my heart.  And the support of her parents were non existent as a child. This broke my heart. However, it is absolutely NOT in the place of the school to encourage or help a child to determine such a decision.  It is the school systems job to provide a education.  The education is not to include any decisions against the parents authority.  This instead becomes brain washing and more of a attempt to remove authority from the parents.  I do not agree with this and i am a mother of four boys, and i hope to be a grandmother one day as well.  You will find no children or grandchildren of mine that will cooperate and or attend your school system with such policies existing.  And i will withdrawl my children immediately should you pass this decision. It's a subject that i understand exists and perhaps needs it's place in the world.  However in the hands of the school system is absolutely inappropriate and u do not have my support and I will lose complete faith in the entire school system as a whole if this decision is made.  I feel like a whole separate program and place for such a topic should exist. I appreciate that u attempt to provide the very best for everyone, I appreciate u thinking of every way to accomodate others that u can.  However u are here to provide a education alone.  And not interfere with sexuality preferences and the privacy of child and parent being compromised.  So with that being said, May God be with you as you make your decisions tonight or tomorrow, and please know, you will lose a entire family of attendance should you try to interfere with the quality of our lives in such a way.  I will have no anger towards you and no hard feelings, but you will never have a child of mine in such a school system. God bless the children who need these accommodations and suffer, I pray that a program separate from the school system can be created.  However it's not the school systems responsiblity and it's just extremely discouraging to imagine such a situation arising. Prayers to all


Strongly in favor

The state has a responsibility to educate ALL resident children, and to do so in a safe environment. That responsibility does not extend only to cisgender children, but all children. Studies have shown that non-cisgender children are overwhelmingly the victims of bullying and abuse, rather than perpetrators. They have a right to an education from the state in a safe environment, without abuse or harassment from fellow students or school officials. Their gender expression, whatever it may or may not be, is no one else's business and no one should be allowed to infringe on that student's rights to an education based on it.


Support

I support the guidance to protect transgender youth.


Read the fine print- and OPPOSE.

To those of you who support this - do you know the details of these policy changes? How they will endanger other non-trans children and their families too? Yes, all children should be protected and cared for, but not in the way that is proposed here. Read more of the details about these policy changes. Parents who oppose this are grieving now for the future of our children.


Strongly Oppose

I am strongly opposed to allowing "transgendered" students into the restrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex of their own biological sex.  It's ridiculous that I have to even write this. Especially, after being told repeatedly by the media and the state government to "believe the science" on COVID in respect to lockdowns, school closures, social distancing, and masks. Well, "believe the science" on this issue too.  There are only 2 sexes, and you cannot acrually change your sex.  Also recognize that the vast geographical majority of Virginia is opposed to this and their beliefs should also be respected.  Each locality's School Board should be allowed to continue determining what's best for their communities.


Strong opposition to this harmful initiative

This transgender school policy initiative is problematic on so many levels. It undermines parental rights, it promotes gender confusion/fluidity to children, it violates the religious liberties of most Americans, and it violates the privacy (and, at times, also the safety) of children.  It is highly inappropriate for public schools to be teaching gender identity and sexuality in K-12.  And it is particularly baffling that in a pandemic environment in which our kids haven't attended school in nearly a year, our authorities are focused on this terrible initiative instead of academics.  If VA is trying to push parents into private schools and homeschooling, they're definitely achieving this.


Full Support for Transgender Student Policy

I am a parent with two students in Arlington County Public Schools. Both of my children have friends and family members who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.  They celebrate it. They celebrate their friends and family.  They are happy that their friends and family can express who they really are at their core. In fact, they often don't see any kind of difference and just see the kind and fun friend/family who they are.  And I am so proud that they are being loyal, caring friends. Not everyone is supportive. But that is not the role of government. Public schools need to provide strong clear guidance that allows all students to focus on school regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. My children and I support this guidance for that reason.


Accommodations  for transgender students

Oppose action to allow accommodations for transgender students. This action requires further detailed study and conclusion based on science as it relates to the long term effects to birth gender oriented students. The plan has no basis of fact on the current student mental health of birth gender children. Your action to proceed could result catastrophic adverse unintended consequences. Oppose.


I fully support

i fully support this!


STRONGLY OPPOSE

This is just going to leave a bigger problem.  Like women and girls getting raped. And where is my privacy as a born woman. Your taking away my rights. I also think that person must tell the other person if she is a he or she. They shouldn't get special privileges and rights. If your not born with it, then don't use other excuses to get your way. That means my rights are not protected now. How is that fair ? And me as a women have to look over my shoulder or be scared for my daughter.  When is this world going to say enough is enough.


Vote NO

Do not vote to pass this legislation.  You will be held accountable for your actions in this world and the next as stated below. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:26?-?28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.26-28.ESV


Strongly support

Inclusiveness is the future. It is neither political nor radical but important for including all children in a safe and effective way educational environment.


100% Support for this policy and trans people

This policy will not only help our trans and gender non-conforming children but our society as a whole. This policy demands protection of human rights and protecting humans, you and I, shouldn't be a debate. We shouldn't need to debate whether one's life is worth protecting especially when it comes to children. I am proud to see the state of Virginia taking measures to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.


Strongly opposed

I totally support all to identify as they wish however leaving parents out of this is wrong.  These children need support from people outside of just the school. Also risking children of both sexes being taken advantage of in a bathroom at school by letting both genders use the same restroom is wrong.  The risk this creates for all students and teachers involved is too high.  This is also an abuse of the CPS system, there are plenty of cases where children are being abused and neglected and this is an issue that will tie up resources that can be used elsewhere.  These agencies are struggling to maintain and address what their current cases are much less added additional things.


Boys allowed in girls locker rooms and bsthrooms

Are you people insane? I can see the problems already! Use your heads! Vote NO!


Fully support

Transgender rights are human rights.


Strongly opposed

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Strongly Disagree!!!!!

Strongly oppose- please don't do this for our children!!


Concerned parent who is against bullying in any form

Fully support

Fully support this guidance and recommend VA guidance for Transgender students.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

I strongly oppose this, I believe God made female & male and that’s the way it should be.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

We strongly oppose! 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. Harm is done to very young girls who feel powerless to expect physical privacy in the present of biological males AND young men who don’t want to change in front of biological girls. PLEASE leave this out of our school system.


I oppose after reading

Who diagnoses a student as transgender? Is it the student, or a teacher, counselor, or other staff member? If a student can self-diagnose for gender identity, can a student also self-diagnose other conditions? ADHD for example? Who is liable if something criminal happens to a student who is rooming with students of the opposite sex and the parent did not give consent for the trip? Is there a legal precedence? Would the school be charged for allowing the assault if a parent had advised against the risk? Please rethink this policy if only for the reasons of opening up a huge legal issue for teachers - will they be held responsible for decisions made against the parent's?


STRONGLY Oppose/ This is Dangerous

Another individual wrote this and I support all of what they wrote. These laws would endanger children and the rights of parents to raise their children according to their conscience. Abuse of minors in the public school system is a very real danger, laws that would promote secrecy and pressure to conform to sexual content at the risk of being removed from one’s home will provide child predators huge leverage in our system. Also, while we want to believe that the people claiming a sexual identity different from their biological sex are being sincere, this law completely abolished protections for students against those who would misuse the law. Imagine an older male student using the female bathroom to prey on young women, and then threatening to report them as having anti-Trans views if they don’t comply with their sexual demands. That same student might be too afraid, as many young women are who are attacked, to come forward, fearing they might be removed from their home or punished in some way at school. We already have anti-bullying protections on the books, we do not need to turn our schools into re-education camps where people with peaceful opposing views are threatened for wanting to uphold their views in their own homes. This is a dangerous precedent to set. Imagine if the tables were turned and schools were teaching that you cannot identify as LGBT or you will be re-educated and made to deny yourself. Further yet that your LGBT status reflects on your home life and that you should be removed from your home. This is not the place of our education system, sexual politics and dangerous intrusions into the familial relationship are not appropriate. There are already laws that protect abused children and stop bullying at schools based on any sort of sexual, ethnic or racial basis. This is an unnecessary overstep that will open the door to great harm.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

I very strongly oppose the proposed transgender policies. It VIOLATES my rights as a parent and the rights of my children. It is not the public school systems place to teach my children these ideals. While this may support a select few, the number of children it will HURT far exceeds. If these policies pass my children will not be attending public schools in the state of Virginia. sincerely, very concerned parents


Support

I support the guidance document and all efforts to create inclusive environments in which all children feel welcome, supported, respected and valued.


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

We oppose the proposed policies. William and Angela Elliott


Strongly oppose!

Strongly oppose! Students need to be identified by their sex at birth, not what they think they should be. It is not a choice and my children should not be exposed to this type of behavior.


OPPOSE - I DON'T WANT MY DAUGHTER TO HAVE TO FEAR FOR A MALE IN A GIRLS BATHROOM - NO

THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. STOP TEACHING BOYS THEY CAN THINK THEY ARE GIRLS AND THEN BE ALLOWED INTO GIRLS BATHROOMS AND GIRLS SPORTS.  WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MORALS OF SOCIETY?? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE KIDS PARENTS HEADS?? TOTAL AIR BRAINS.


Former School Employee Who's Witnessed the Indoctrination

OPPOSE

NO! Leave the gender studies for parents and therapists. Stop indoctrinating our children. I've seen enough material used in the school system to understand the system's ulterior motive. For example: take a look at the Virginia Readers' Choice list for children (especially middle school and high school) and see how far the material has gone to indoctrinate our children. No more are their novels on the list that include a family unit of married heterosexual parents with children. Another example are the online reading/grammar programs used in schools such as including characters who want to "change their lifestyles" (seen on a No Red Ink reading program). Parents, don't look! Nothing to see here. The schools can take care of our children. Sure. Right. Stop pushing your agendas on our children! Leave our children alone!


Oppose

I oppose this bill.


VDOE

Absolutely do NOT agree with what is up for debate in our schools with our children and grandchildren. Families are being threatened to raise our children knowing what is right and what is wrong with God in the center of everything. This will be very dangerous for young girls sharing any type of facilities with the opposite sex! Where are the morals we have tried to teach since the beginning of time!! I am disgusted with VDOE to even consider this proposal


ABSOLUTELY NOT

Strongly Oppose,  Absolutely. Not what is wrong with this country? Oh yeah liberals that says it all. If you want a boy to share a bathroom with girls have there testicles removed. Oh yeah your not going to do that but you expect it to be ok for perverts to be in a restroom or locker room with the opposite sex! REALLY


Strongly Oppose

Strongly opposed.


We STRONGLY OPPOSE these measures

We STRONGLY OPPOSE these measures.


STRONGLY SUPPORT

When I was young there was no feasible way to comfortably or acceptably identify as trans or nonbinary. There wasn’t even a feeling for a kid to pinpoint. Now the people and VA lawmakers have the power and ability to relieve so many kids of the gender dysphoria, the bullying, the feeling of alienation in their own skin. I fully back and advocate for the lives and rights of trans identifying kids. The assumption trans people are predators is a myth perpetuated by bigots. These are our kids. They need love and acceptance from the ones who have power because their peers are very well being taught hatefulness at home. It’s 2021 and we now have a chance to make our children seen, to make sure they know we have their back. We owe it to the ones who will makeup the future, to protect them from hate, bigotry and evil. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s a threat to you.


Strongly oppose

Strongly oppose


strongly oppose

Strongly oppose


Strongly Opposed

Strongly opposed all transgender guidelines which appear on any and all guidance documents  and all boards concerned should apply my comment to their efforts.


Strongly oppose.

Strongly oppose.


OPPOSED!

Senator Newman represents our stand on these issues well.  Common sense must prevail.


Strongly disagree

Please vote no. We do not support this.


Adamantly opposed to transgender guidelines

If these strictures are enacted, the state will be using its police powers to force people to lie. This is no different from a totalitarian regime like North Korea, where people are forced to lie daily or face dire consequences, including losing their children. This is no exaggeration.  Children who are confused about their sexuality deserve far better than to be pushed into identifying with the opposite sex. Biology is real. Research shows that the vast majority of children with gender identity disorder eventually affirm their birth gender  -- if they are not cruelly led in another direction.  Do the right thing and reject these immoral and anti-scientific policies.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

I don't agree with this. They should have a special bathroom.  Like family bathroom.  We should not be subject to this. To much trouble in mens bathroom.  There will be fights, womens there can be rapes. And how do you know this person is tell the truth. This is making our society scary. I don't want my children asking questions,  just because a person decides hey I'm a girl today tomorrow a boy. And you think our kids are messed up now. This will really screw up there minds.


Encouraging kids to lead a double life and hiding vital information from parents

Please reject this pending policy which encouraging kids to lead a double life, and hide vital information from parents that could make a life-saving difference in kids’ lives. There are already disturbing controversies like this happening in Wisconsin and in Utah.


Parent of Virginia Transgender Student Strongly Supports

We are the parents of three children. One of our children is transgender and socially transitioned in elementary school. We were forced to move from York County to Newport News when the York County School District informed us that our daughter would not be allowed to use the girls’ restroom. Forcing our young daughter to use the boys’ room or a staff bathroom would have sent a message to her every single day that her school and her community did not believe that she was a girl even though her heart and parents know and love her as who she knows herself to be. This would also have outed her to all of her friends and classmates. She would have been ridiculed and stigmatized because the very school and teachers our children trust would be telling all of the children and our daughter through this active exclusion that she doesn’t actually exist. The message would be simple and incredibly painful, “girls can use the girls’ room but you cannot because you are not a girl.” These policies will protect our daughter and so many other transgender elementary students we personally know in Hampton Roads. Not everyone can move to another, more welcoming place in Virginia as we were able to do. I know that there are children in elementary, middle and high schools in Virginia every day who cannot even begin to learn and grow until they are first allowed to exist. This is what these policies do for our daughter and so many others. They do not create special status or special rights, they just ensure that transgender children are allowed to exist with the same rights and status as all other Virginia school children.


I oppose

Please don't kill babies no abortion in the United State. Babies have the right to live.


Strongly disagree!

Disagree!


UNCONSTITUTIONAL. PERIOD.

This won't hold up under legal review in Federal court, and definitely not at the Supreme Court of the United States.


STRONGLY OPPOSED

The proposed policies articulate views – such as the view that “Gender identity is considered an innate characteristic that most children declare by age five to six ” – that are far different from those of many parents. Through its blanket endorsement of views like these, the VDOE has gone far beyond the path the General Assembly prescribed. Schools have a duty to protect the bodily privacy and dignity of all students. No child should be forced to share showers, locker rooms, hotel rooms or other intimate settings with a member of the opposite biological sex. Many children would feel uncomfortable when they encounter a member of the opposite sex – particularly adults – in gendered facilities or when entering a shared hotel room as part of an overnight school activity. Children, particularly adolescents, can experience hypersensitive and traumatic reactions to these situations. Schools should not be accommodating the especially harmful view that youth is an appropriate time to be encouraging, in some cases, irreversible “gender transitions”. The model regulations infringe the First Amendment rights of parents to raise and care for their children. The Department’s proposed policies would pit children against their parents when it comes to important questions about sex and gender identity.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

Strongly oppose


NO NO NO

NO NO NO


Strongly Opposed to HB145 and SB161

I am strongly opposed to HB 145 and SB 161.   Why is this small minority of individuals given such attention and acceptance?  This minority upsets, and confuses other children and their parents for that matter.  Why do male and female children have to give up their bathroom/locker room privacy and safety for this minority?  Why does the State of Virginia have the authority to subvert parental guidance and teaching in the sexual realm?   These types of political, agenda policies, where will they end?  Why does the state of Virginia have the right to decide genders and not God who made male and female?  What are the next policies?  Rules and regulations on how to treat or interact with single, married, divorced, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Spanish, Japanese, Italians, white, black, Asians?  Hey, State of Virginia, the concentration would be teach children general rules of telling the truth, politeness, the classics and critical thinking and the Constitution of the United States and by the way, history.  I would strongly encourage parents to home school, or another good alternative to public schools. There is such a thing as education and there is such a thing as Indoctrination.   Wake up America or one day there will be no more America to wake up to.


I support this guidance -- Trans rights are important to me and my family

As the dad of a trans teen, I support this guidance. It's really important to me that my child's gender preference be respected, and that they can feel comfortable being themselves at school.


EXCELLENT! This will Save Lives

As a professional in the field, I strongly support these measures. These changes will promote positive youth development and save lives. I applaud your work!


strongly support!

We must protect transgender students in our schools! These students are harrassed and bullied by students and staff alike and need support!


Strongly oppose

I am honestly shocked that this legislation is even being proposed in the first place.  I think we can all agree that bullying is wrong and that students of the LGBTQ community should be treated with respect and dignity even if we don't agree with their lifestyle choices.  However, talking about forcing these views onto elementary school children and creating confusion in their developing young minds is appalling!  You have to be 18 to get a tatoo or vote, or 21 to smoke or drink, but a child can decide whether they are a boy or girl, without the parent's knowledge and then teachers can't question it?  Have y'all lost your minds?  This is insanity.  Not to mention middle or high school girls who may have a biological boy show up in the locker room while they are undressing because he claims he is a girl for that day.  It is the parents' job to address these issues and teach their children how to love and respect all people.  It is not the job of a school system to indoctrinate our children with these lies!  This is science and facts.  You are either a male or a female.  PERIOD.  As an adult if you choose to identify in another way, so be it, but this has no place in the school system.  Both of my children were pulled from public school 5 years ago and this type of craziness happening is confirmation of why they will never be going back.  If you pass this legislation, my heart will break for all of those children who have no other option other than public school.  This is just plain wrong!  If you pass this, I would also plan for a mass exodus of families to leave the public school system and go to private/homeschool.   They have already been coming due to your incompetent handling of schools during COVID, and you will lose even more with legislation such as this.


Vehemently oppose this outrageous guidance.

This guidance is not only outrageous, but sickening. Basically any boy or other gender can walk into a girls bathroom or locker room at any time according to this. It does not matter if the girl is undressed at all. Privacy isn't allowed anymore, anywhere. Girls can go topless in activities where boys can such as swimming. There is absolutely NO respect for the girls. Their rights don't matter according to this guidance. And we think rape and sex trafficking are bad now. Just wait. I have a four year old granddaughter and the thought of her going to school under these circumstances makes me nauseous. What this is attempting to do is to make our society complete amoral, perverted and twisted. It's trying to take God and parental rights out of everything.


SUPPORT.

I am a student in Virginia. I strongly support these policies to make trans and non binary students feel comfortable in a school environment. They need support now more than ever and these changes can help them feel safer at school.


Strongly Oppose

This is not right, my kids don’t need to learn vulgarity in any form this is an adult conversation and need to stay out of schools.


ABSOLUTELY AGAINST!

NO!!!! Absolutely unacceptable. I will homeschool if you pass this. And I will also actively work with other parents to not only have you removed from your position, but also have this removed from the schools. Elementary and middle school children are too young and too easily confused. I think this is a subject that needs to be left to parents. I do think it is totally acceptable for you to put together a curriculum that parents who ask or seek guidance in explanation this to their kids, can get easy access to. But this is NOT a discussion for young children and should NOT be taught in school.  Not everything is the purview of the state in regards to education.


Strong support

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect by default, especially if their life and their choices in no way negatively affect another


strongly oppose

I strongly oppose this guidance document.  Parents have the fundamental right to be involved in their children's upbringing and education, and in many places throughout this document, parents are explicitly excluded from knowing what is happening in school with regard to their child, both in cases where their child is experiencing gender confusion and where their child might be accused of violating the policies. It is true that every child deserves fair and equal treatment.  Especially when considering areas like bathrooms and locker rooms, there are so many ways that this could go wrong, for example, someone could claim to have a different identity to gain access to a private area of the opposite sex, and would not even be allowed to be questioned.  This does not take into account the rights of every student.  Is it keeping all of our students safe? Encouraging children to question their biological gender only adds to confusion, especially if parents are not allowed to be included in such discussions.  Parents must be included! I strongly oppose the adoption of this guidance document and its policies.  We need to go back to the drawing board to form policies that respect all students and their parents!


Too Many Issues with Practicality and Non-Consideration of the Rights of Other Students and Teachers

I oppose the forced implementation of these policies. Of course no student should be stigmatized, harassed or bullied for any reason. That said, the proposed policies mandate compliance with a set of behaviors that are likely to create uncomfortable, impractical and sometimes even unsafe situations. On page 8, the document states that the VDOE "...continues to be committed to working with school divisions to ensure a positive, safe, and nurturing learning environment for all students." But these model policies are totally slanted to the self-identified transgender students, magnifying their comfort level above those of the vast majority of the student body. The document says very little about accommodating the beliefs and feelings of the non-transgender students. In other words, though the document often cites equality based on a number of beliefs and attributes, the model policies seem to establish the rights of transgender students as carrying more weight and advocacy should these rights come in conflict with the rights of other students, such as the right to not have to share bathroom and locker facilities with persons whom present according to their biological sex. Will school administrators and ombudsmen take up the cause of students who have these concerns, or will their advocacy only extend to the transgender students? Will the sole focus or reconciliation policies be to get non-transgender students to accept these policies, or will they actually try to accommodate these student beliefs and feelings equally? As to practicality, how many students by percentage will these policies affect? I don't know the estimated percentages, but my assumption is it is very small. The number of resources and amount of education dedicated to accommodation and enforcement seem way out of proportion to schools achieving their intended purpose of teaching our students and providing a safe educational environment  where all students are treated with dignity and respect for their beliefs, without regard to who they are. While not addressing the overall numbers, a statistic cited in one of the references jumped out at me. The research study looked at the effects of positive family acceptance of the student's self-proclaimed gender as cutting suicide ideation and attempts in half. While that is a positive statistic, the study revealed what "half" is - from 38.3% to 18.5% in suicide ideation, and from 56.8% to 30.9% in suicide attempts. These are not healthy statistics. Another practical aspect has to do with the policies minimizing gender-based organizations. That means no more men's or women's glee clubs, as an example. The male and female voices are different. It's biology. It's science, if you will.  And sports and Title IX are another issue, and get into the safety aspect. Consider the recent situation in Connecticut where transgender females wiped out all of the previous  women's records in track. Similar results have occurred in weightlifting.  A number of female athletes are complaining about losing records and scholarships to biological males who identify as transgender females. Not only does this open the door to injuries with biological males competing against biological females, it can have impacts on achievement and scholarships. There is a reason we have male and female competitions. And yet, when female athletes, and perhaps their parents, complain about this, they are vilified and shamed. So much for equal treatment. I will repeat what I said at the beginning. There is no place for transgenders, or any student, to be bullied or harassed for their beliefs. But instead of treating all beliefs and feelings equally, these policies create all kinds of special accommodations and multiple, mandated changes throughout the system for one specific group at the expense of the vast majority.


I strongly oppose the transgender policy and transgender education!

Genetically and physically it can be proven that people are male or female. Science is used in identifying the gender of plants, insects, animals and humans.


Strongly Support

Please vote in favor of providing all children with the safe, supportive learning environment they deserve. The rights of young people to learn—regardless of how they identify—should never be in question. Discrimination based on another person’s autonomous choices is immoral and unacceptable, especially in schools. That fact should not be up for debate in 2021...


STRONGLY OPPOSE

I strongly oppose allowing biological males to enter the female bathrooms or biological females to enter the male bathrooms in any public facility.  Public schools are especially a concern where young girls will be particularly at risk for sexual assault.


No

I don’t agree with this!


STRONGLY OPPOSE

STRONGLY oppose your proposed "transgender" policy and "transgender" education which is based on radical theories that eradicate all distinctions between male and female and indoctrinate our school children.  This has nothing to do with education!!  We need to protect and respect ALL children and allow parents to be THE parent and to be the one to make decisions concerning their children.


Strong Oppose


Strongly Support

As this is a move towards providing more information to our schools & communities about the adversity trans youth faces, more inclusivity and understanding of trans people for our educators, and to give the general public a better grasp on gender identity and what it means to be trans, there are a lot of Virginians here that seem completely shut off to this, or just plainly, wanting to stay ignorant on these issues. As the document that is provided for this policy notes; " "Gender: A set of social, psychological, and emotional traits that classify an individual as typically masculine or feminine, although the social construct of gender may be more diverse across a continuum rather than as a binary system."" This is not about our youth "converting" or being tricked into anything. Gender identity is a form of self discovery, and that doesn't come as easy to someone compared to a cis gender person (who make up the majority of our society). This is not "the leftists taking over the world order; 1984 ANTIFA super soldier deluxe combo recruitment agenda" or whatever nonsense you are hearing from Ben Shabino/Steven Coward/Tim Fool. This is about a fundamental human right for trans youth (who are already protected under Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment). ESPECIALLY those in the schooling system, where they are more likely to face bullying, being misgendered and general harassment. Being trans/gender fluid/gender-nonbinary is part of ones identity, just as race is also a social construct. Also listed under the document; ""In 2020, the  American Psychological  Association (APA)  and  National Association of  School  Psychologists  (NASP)  declared in a  resolution that  “all  persons, including children and adolescents  who are  diverse  in their  sexuality  and  gender  identities, expression, and/or  presentation, have  the  inherent  human right  to equal  opportunity  and  a  physically  and psychologically  safe  environment  within all  institutions.”  The  American Academy  of  Pediatrics (2018)  also acknowledged that, “variations  in  gender  identity  and expression are  normal  aspects of  human diversity.”" What we label as masculine & feminine are very much a social construct (women wear make up, men wear suits, etc.) Even within those two examples, I don't see a lot of people fussing over women wearing jeans or men having ear piercings. At least I haven't heard anyone saying so in recent years. All that being said, those two examples still fall under the binary understanding of gender. SEX AND GENDER ARE NOT THE SAME . There is a large amount of evidence that can make this argument better than I could under this comment section. The technical terms are even listed in the doc! There are tons and TONS of sources this single document has sited, I highly encourage everyone to read up. I'm incredibly disappointed by seeing how many Virginians, and especially parents, who criticize this policy, without putting the time or effort to even understand the core of what this policy is about. I've seen people using sex and gender interchangeably, quoting scripture/texts from the Bible, saying ""Boys allowed in girls locker rooms and bsthrooms (misspelled nice) Are you people insane? I can see the problems already! Use your heads! Vote NO!"" or another comment saying; "'It is against our religious beliefs and is not how God created us - male or female."" there is nothing welcoming or accepting with this rhetoric. The LGBTQ+ community (especially POC) are already historically marginalized in the US. The psychological repercussions that our youth will face after experiencing this marginalization takes a toll, usually towards substance abuse or suicide. The policy talks a lot about protecting trans youth and also making sure their privacy and safety is the priority. As the doc states here; "" A  2019 national  survey  by  GLSEN  found that  84  percent  of  transgender  youth  feel unsafe  at  school, and those  who experience  victimization have  significantly  lower  GPAs, are more  likely  to miss  school  out  of  concern  for  their  safety, and  are  less  likely  to  plan on continuing  their  education (Kosciw, Clark, Truong,  &  Zongrone, 2020). Compared to their cisgender  and heterosexual  peers,  LGBTQ+  youth  report  much higher  rates  of  depression, anxiety,  alcohol  and drug use, and lower  self-esteem.  LGBTQ+  youth of  color  may  experience additional  stress  and adverse  effects  as  a  result  of  their  intersecting  identities, facing  both  bias against  their  gender  identity  or  expression as  well  as  racism. Research has  shown that  LGBTQ+ students  experience  higher  levels  of  victimization  because  of  their  gender  identity  and/or  gender expression and have  more  adverse  outcomes  compared to their  cisgender  and heterosexual  peers (Human Rights  Campaign Foundation, 2018): "" On the positive side of this, seeing so many other Virginians support this is inspiring and incredible! To anyone else who is willing to learn more about gender identity, who doesn't understand the concepts but is good faith and wants to be more educated on this, I would highly encourage them to read this document and start the learning process. Talk to those around you, there is probably someone you know that is also hip to this information. I identify as non-binary. I couldn't put into words how I felt about myself for so long, until I learned more about gender on my own, with the help of my friends and online resources. It helped give me perspective and a greater grasp to my own person. To anyone who hasn't ever questioned their own gender, please show compassion and try to understand. Especially for the youth who are still figuring out right now. We want to give them all the resources they can access so they can get a better understanding of their own humanity. Trans rights are human rights!!


Strongly Oppose!!!!!!!

Strongly oppose!!!!!’


No! No! No!

I strongly oppose this. Our children should be at school focusing on education. I am a child of God and I love everyone. I do not have to support everyone’s decisions or agree with them but I still love them. With that being said all children should feel safe at school. I agree with that part. But school is for education. Kids have the rest of their lives to make these kind of decisions. But don’t force it on them at such a young, innocent age. Don’t subject everyone’s kids to this. Dont allow boys in the bathroom with young girls. That screams a disaster waiting to happen. Not too mention parents not knowing about Things happening at school because you don’t have to tell us. No way!!!  There’s a time and place for everything but I can assure you that this is not the time nor the place. I am strongly against this! Please think about our kids. Our young daughters. Our sons. They’re so innocent and young. Don’t subject them to this. It’s not the time. It should be up to a parent to discuss these things. And  When they’re elementary age,( even middle school ), it’s definitely not time. Don’t do this! There’s other ways to go about this. But this ain’t the correct way at all!!!! I love everyone. I want my children to love everyone. And they do! They aren’t born with hatred towards others. They learn that. And at home I am not teaching them to hate anyone or bully anyone or even hurt someone’s feelings in the least. I am teaching love!! A godly love. Therefore things should be taught in the home. And only in the home. Period. So please don’t do this!!


Transgender

Strongly oppose -


STRONG SUPPORT. TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

strongly support this measure! TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS. This will SAVE LIVES!


Our trans students deserve protections!

All students should have the right to feel safe and not discriminated against at school. This guidance is needed so local boards can protect their trans students. I very much support this! Thank you.


Rev. Emma Chattin, MCC of Northern VA, TGEA

Very Strongly Support - Protect Trans Kids

"Don't read the comments". That is what we say and what we hear when it comes to forums about Trans folk, because the level of anger and the lack of civility are so disheartening.  Some of the things said in this very forum are downright hurtful and ugly.  Just imagine what our children hear.  Just imagine what the most vulnerable among us must go through and listen to in order to live their lives authentically.  I know.  I have worked with Trans kids and their parents for almost 15 years. Trans kids are already in schools.  They have always been in schools.  Their existence is not up for debate or discussion.  They can’t be shouted away or voted away, and Virginia schools have already been working with Trans kids without incident as best as they are able.  These model policies provide uniform guidance, and are the best way for us to move forward together as a civil society with room for all.


Better than nothing but could go farther

Distinguished School board and Department of Education Administrators, I strongly support any and all measures possible to protect children. Transgender identity is not a phase, not an act of insubordination, and not a choice. Gender identity must be protected as a legal right as all children, trans or cisgender, must be given equal protection under law. As mentioned in the guidelines transgender students are at increased risk of abuse and suicide. For many trans adults I know school was a traumatic experience because of constant mental, physical and, sexual abuse or assault happening on school grounds. Much of this abuse far passes bullying and was never addressed by administration or police even when reported multiple times. If these guidelines can grant trans students the equal protection that they are denied then I am in full support. However, the Virginia Education system must also take responsibility for previous inaction when faced with anti-trans human rights abuses. Almost all of the proposed guidelines are excellent. I encourage providing model non-gendered uniforms for activities such swim meets, cheer, field hockey, and any other traditionally gendered sport. On a personal note, I am a cisgender woman who would have loved to have taken part in cheer if I had an option other than a mini skirt. The tight mini skirt was against my spiritual beliefs, but when I asked I was given no other choice but to wear it. Had track pants been an option I could have participated. Additionally, I commend your protection of children choosing both gendered and non gendered bathrooms. This is one of the most important ways to combat social stigma against trans students. As a chronically ill child, I also could have benefited from single stall non gendered bathrooms to discreetly take care of medical needs without having to go to the nurse's office for the only single stall bathroom. The only issue I have is in the "student Identification" section on page 13 where it encourages administrators to listen to bigoted parents about how their children should be addressed. I believe administrators and teachers alike should respect their students even if it is against the will of parents. Misgendering trans students and deadnaming is emotionally abusive and under no circumstances should schools aid in parental abuse of children. Malicious dead naming should be considered verbal abuse and reported as such. Would you recommend teachers referring to girls as sluts or boys as s if the parents requested it? Deadnaming and misgendering whittles away at a child's confidence and shows a complete disregard for their identity as a human. Misgendering removes a child's agency and asserts control over their very personhood by discounting the individual and asserting a predetermined social narrative instead. Deadnaming and misgendering is dehumanizing much in the way a slur is. In every way possible we must treat children as people with agency. Removing that agency and aiding in the hateful treatment of children increases the likelihood of a young person developing depression or taking their own life. We must be completely clear that there is a difference between a learning curve and passive aggressive disrespect in regards to pronouns and names. It is common for adults to pretend to be "trying" to respect pronouns and ask for patience, only for no improvement to ever come. Please establish a reasonable time table, for example over the course of two weeks, by which old names can be phased out. Any mistake after that should be followed by an apology everytime. I would prefer that there was some metric for accountability laid out in this document. Additionally you should include assurance that transgender students still facing discrimination in breach of these guidelines would have a clear path to aid, reporting and, conflict resolution aside from quiet patience with the  small mindedness of others. It is our responsibility as adults to put aside personal biases and truly aid the children we have sworn to protect. We can no longer discount transgender children as being strange, deviant or, immoral leaving their human rights a question of personal taste. It was never just to do so. It is time for Virginia to right it's past wrongs and truly strive for equity now. These guidelines are a good start but by no means mark the end of our duty to protecting transgender children in public schools. -Evelyn Leggett


I strongly oppose. This is an infringement on religious liberty and parental rights & bad for our children.


Model Policies Should Serve to Benefit All Students, While Accommodating Specific Concerns

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this model policy. The model policy is well-intentioned, but does not serve all of the students in any school. Policies need to address issues and provide solutions that treat others equally and do not cause harm. The educational learning environment of a school is delicate and is disrupted when any one group is favored at the expense of others. The proposed solution which this policy hopes to fix causes disruption and harm to all of the other students. A better  model policy would ensure that the rights and beliefs of all persons are treated equally. This policy fails that test and should not be made a model policy.


I strongly oppose this Document

As a student, this could affect me in a way were it makes feel uncomfortable being around someone who claims to be different gender than me.


Very Strongly support

As others have said, Trans children are already in school, and have been there for years. This is nothing new. What is new is giving them respect, and treating them with intelligence and dignity. That is all - basic human dignity. Use friendly language and not language of hate or abuse. Children grow into the adults we all live with. Raise them well and we will have civilized adults. Frankly, some of the comments on this page are very troubling and difficult to read. I would hope no one would treat children like that.


Support the Guidance for Safe & Equal Learning Environment

February 3, 2021 Dr. Samantha Hollins Virginia Department of Education 101 N. 14th Street Richmond, VA  23219 Dear Assistant Superintendent Hollins, I am writing on behalf of Equality Virginia (EV), the leading advocacy organization in Virginia seeking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. EV strongly supports the Virginia Department of Education’s Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools. Equality Virginia believes that all students have the right to a learning environment that is safe, inclusive, and affirming, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are working alongside youth, families, and local and state organizations across the Commonwealth to make sure LGBTQ students, particularly transgender and non-binary students, can learn and thrive. We know that transgender and non-binary youth face unique barriers to an equal learning environment in K-12 schools in Virginia. Per GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey, a staggering 84 percent of transgender youth felt unsafe in school because of their identity, 82 percent said they avoided certain spaces because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable, 51 percent missed school because of safety concerns, and 50 percent said they were unable to use the name or pronoun consistent with their gender. Transgender students who face these sorts of victimization are then three times more likely to have missed school in the past month than their peers. GLSEN’s 2017 Virginia Snapshot reports that 62 percent of LGBTQ youth faced verbal harassment and 26 percent faced physical harassment in school. Transgender and non-binary youth of color face even greater levels of bullying, harassment, and assault for not only their sexual orientation or gender identity, but also their racial or ethnic identity. As long as students are unsafe, fearful, and uncomfortable in their school environment, they cannot focus on learning or sometimes even be physically present. This demonstrates the urgent need for affirming model policies for school boards to adopt on the treatment of transgender and non-binary students. Per existing state and federal law, all students have the right to an equal education and this guidance can go a long way towards making that a reality in K-12 schools across Virginia. On this basis, Equality Virginia supports this guidance, while recommending a few minor changes below. Overall We recommend the adoption of all of the clarifications, additions, removals, and edits enumerated in GLSEN’s public comment submitted by Aaron Ridings, Director of Public Policy, on February 2, 2021 to the Virginia Department of Education. Additionally, EV recommends the following changes under various sections: Student Privacy/Confidentiality On page 12, in the model policy’s first paragraph, we recommend replacing “gender assigned at birth” with “sex assigned at birth.” This aligns with the terminology the document uses elsewhere and aligns with standard usage. Student Identification On page 12, we suggest rewording the third and fourth sentences in the first paragraph as follows: “Many transgender students will adopt gender pronouns typically associated with their gender identity. For example, most transgender female students will use she/her/hers pronouns, while most transgender male students will use he/him/his pronouns. There is somewhat less of a common pattern of pronoun usage among different non-binary students. Non-binary students, as well as transgender students, may use gendered pronouns like she/her/hers or he/him/his, use gender neutral pronouns like they/them/theirs or ze/hir/hirs, use multiple sets of pronouns interchangeably (e.g. he/him/his and they/them/theirs), or use their name in place of any pronoun.” On page 12, we recommend these edits to the first paragraph under the “Student Identification” heading: Original text: “A student is considered transgender if, at school, the student consistently asserts a gender identity different from the sex assigned at birth. This should involve more than a casual declaration of gender identity, but it does not necessarily require any substantiating evidence nor any required minimum duration of expressed gender identity, and expression of gender identity can present differently from student to student. Recommended text: “A student is considered transgender if, at school, the student asserts a gender identity different from the sex assigned at birth, unless there is a credible basis that the student is claiming a transgender identity for an improper purpose. In the unlikely event that a student appears to be asserting a transgender identity for an improper purpose, schools should allow the student an opportunity respond to that concern, for example, by permitting the student to provide substantiating evidence to support their request to be treated consistent with their gender identity.” On page 13: Original text: “Schools shall allow students to assert a name and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without any substantiating evidence. School staff shall, at the request of a student or parent, address the student using the asserted name and pronoun that correspond to their gender identity. Recommended text: “Schools shall allow students to use a name and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without any substantiating evidence. School staff shall, at the request of a student or parent, address the student using the name and pronoun that correspond to their gender identity.” Access to Activities and Facilities On page 17, in the model policy’s first paragraph’s first sentence, we recommend striking “reduce.” The phrase “to the extent possible” already provides adequate flexibility and “reduce” is an unclear metric. On page 18, in the second paragraph of the model policy, we recommend adding “or” between “single user” and “gender-inclusive.” Since the comma usage is ambiguous, this clarifies that both options can be appropriate, not just single user facilities labelled as gender-inclusive. Professional Development On page 19, we recommend the following paragraph be added to the model policy: “For staff who already have professional development requirements, the professional development that they undertake within a year’s period should include topics relating to LGBTQ+ students, including safety and support for LGBTQ+ students. This can be interwoven with other topics or as a distinct topic.” All staff who interact with students should have some familiarity with how to support LGBTQ students given their specific issues in schools as a vulnerable population. In conclusion, EV strongly supports the model policy, and we urge the incorporation of our suggestions for the adoption of this necessary guidance. Thank you for your work to fully implement Virginia law to protect the right to a safe and equal learning environment for all Virginia students by crafting these model policies on the treatment of transgender youth. Please reach out to Vee Lamneck, Executive Director, at vlamneck@equalityvirginia.org to discuss our recommendations. Sincerely, Vee Lamneck Executive Director


SUPPORT!!

I Support this!!


Strongly Oppos LLP

The Transgender Guidance is poorly thought through and misguided in its objectives.  It starts by speaking dismissively of a child’s sex at birth as “assigned” but only provisionally until the child determines his or her superseding “gender identity.”  In reality, a child is male or female from birth through death; there is no changing one’s sex. It is a gift from God. With regard to gender, this is treated as innate from a young age, but the Guidance later admits it is changeable and provision must be made to handle changes.  So essentially the child is allowed, god-like, to change and morph their Gender identity at whim, and the school system is to play along and cater to it through every twist and turn.  There is an undefined “consistency” requirement that is unenforceable.  Truly the inmates will be running the asylum. The novel requirement to allow boys in girls bathrooms and locker rooms (or vice versa)is a disaster waiting to happen amd horrific for the vast majority of students, especially young girls. The bathrooms and locker rooms should be used according to sex.  That does not denigrate gender identity.  Rather, it  divides usage by sex rather than gender.  There is nothing wrong with this well established classification approach to bathrooms and locker rooms. In all, this Guidance is a shallow effort, filled with all the latest unproven pieties and virtue signaling.  It aids and abets chaos, injuring the many, while pretending to help the few.  It is a disgrace.


Strongly oppose state control of gender modification

Strongly oppose State usurping rights of parents concerning minor children and gender issues, including changes physically, mentally or emotionally.


Imposing these views unilaterally oppress religious views. Accommodations can be made to support TG


Strongly agree

LBGT+ deserve to be safe from bullying, harassment and discrimination, especially at school.


Inclusion Policy

Strongly support this


Strongly oppose - Quit politicizing the schools

Quit politicizing schools with special interests such as transgender rights. All children in this country should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation, religion or any other special interests.


Strongly oppose

I strongly oppose the transgender policy!!!


"Gender fluidity" is made up of nonsensically garbage used to balkanize the working class. It distracts people from reality and is an extremist anti-social ideology.


Strong support for human rights

There is overwhelming science ( https://lnkd.in/eXWprbf ) that shows transgender kids in affirming situations (where their gender, name and pronouns are respected) ?do well while transgender kids in disaffirming environments do poorly.? I went to elementary, middle and HS (1970s and 1980s) with a brilliant transgender woman. As a parent and youth soccer coach, I coached two transgender kids and know several others.  Here’s a link to a three minute video of me recounting why these individuals were exceptional and heroic: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wendy-martin-3b8bb971_transgender-transgenderally-transgenderrights-activity-6610636446372032513-UhCX We need inclusive schools, workplaces and communities. Please do the right thing and advance equality and kindness.


Our Children are Trans or Non-Binary

Our children, our future, our leaders are Trans , non-binary or cis-gender. They should all be educated with love and care. When you protect their rights in school, you are safeguarding an entire generation from hate that destroys. Choose love.


No no no

no no no


**Schools should HAVE to report to Parents**

This document gives the school discrection on whether or not the parents of students will be told about their child's gender issues.  Parents need to be involved in all aspects of their children's education and time at school.  Remember the students in past who have committed suicide and the parents had no idea because the schools felt it wasn't something to communicate to the parents.  This is a scary slope that will only widen the gap between the child-parent relationship and draw the child closer to the government run school system.  Schools are NOT substitutes for parents.


Strongly oppose

Father of 4 beautiful school age girls. Oppose any law favoring one class of person over another as is the case here. Support the science. There's only 2 genders!


No no no

This isn’t about who’s using what bathroom folks! This is people losing their children because they want them to be a child and not be subjected to these things! These kids are being brainwashed because they like pink they must be gay! Let kids be kids!!! Focus on education and getting kids to actually graduate and go to college!!! Instead we will have a bunch of 20 somethings running around crying to  counselors that they are confused and don’t know how to do anything without someone telling them how to do it or act! What happened to majority rules? Also of those that agree... how many of you have kids?? Will you be ok with your he/she/it kid sharing a bathroom with a grown man? Someone who can over power them?? That’s what all this is leading to!! Will you be ok when your parental rights are revoked because you don’t want your child to say the pledge of allegiance but they are forced to and because you don’t agree you lose your child???? What will this do to the school and foster system?? Come on folks use


No

No


SUPPORT!!

Please have open hearts and open minds when considering. Gender identity and expression are central to the way we see ourselves and engage in the world around us. This is certainly true of transgender and gender-expansive children and teens, for whom family support, academic support and public support are absolutely critical. This is true to who one is at their core. We should love an accept those around us for who they are- no matter what they have gone through to get there. As a family we support this strongly.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

STRONGLY OPPOSE


Transgender

Begin typing to enter your comments. You are limited to approximately 3000 word Transgender shouldn’t be a term used in schools where kids are still growing and maturing and don’t need to be more confused  than they already are! This is a disgrace to anyone of any age! This is against all things biblical! Going shirtless shouldn’t be allowed by either gender in a public school setting! Boys shouldn’t be in a girls restroom or locker room at any time! Girls shouldn’t be in a boys bathroom or locker room!  Whoever suggests this is sick!! Parents have every right to raise their kids without being threatened with charges of child abuse over this topic!


Strongly  oppos

Strongly oppos


Strongly oppose!! This is unsafe and completely wrong!!!

this is not safe for our children!! And we as parents don’t have a right to know??? What kind of animal thought that’s okay?? I will never send my children to public school if this is going to be a thing! This has to be a disgusting joke!!


Oppose

STRONGLY OPPOSE


Opposed, this policy disadvantages both parents and children, and here's why.

These policies encourage children to believe that their birth was a mistake, that they are in the wrong body, and that the solution is to pretend otherwise or perhaps engage in genital mutilation. This type of thinking leads many, many transgender children into depression or suicidal thoughts, and also leads to the belief that those who don't buy into their delusion hate them. It has been shown through research that a majority of transgender children eventually identify with their sex assigned at birth as an adult, resulting in many irreversible regrets. Young children are incredibly impressionable and should not be given the option to make such life-changing decisions before they can even legally drive a car, much less given MORE authority in this position than their parents or legal guardians. This is not only unconstitutional, it undermines the guardian's authority and autonomy as an individual, and strains relationships between child and parent, adding more stress. In the best interest of children, especially transgender children, do not approve this policy.


Whatever happened to reading, writing, and arithmetic?

Our family is strongly opposed to this ideology that can only serve to harm, confuse, and possibly destroy already impressionable students. Teachers are entrusted with teaching subject matter to students that does not betray a parent’s right to actually parent their own children. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27).” There is only male and female. To tell our children anything other than the truth is a failure to love them well. Please consider the detrimental ramifications of this unthinkable proposed legislation  before irreparable damage (except for God’s grace) is done to our most precious resources. They are all worth it! Every one of them!


STRONGLY OPPOSE

Transgender children are very very tiny amount in our state.   Educators should make and implement school polices based on the majority of the normal children (boys and girls).  Besides, transgender is a very private matter, so please don’t play so loud to try to influence and mislead our normal children, instead, provide psychological help to those tiny amount of children because this may not be the real thing they want.


Wish this had been in place when I was a kid

Please pass this so that our children can live authentically.  Transgender rights are human rights. We should be allowed to use the bathroom of our gender as determined by us not the state or school


Strongly Oppose!! No! No! No!

Please do not pass this! My daughter should not see a penis in a bathroom or feel unsafe using a public restroom! Protect the innocent. Provide more mental health therapy about identity crisis.


Oppose

This model is flawed for various reasons, one of which being its far overreach into the parent-child relationship. The model assumes that in every case, children experiencing gender dysphoria should affirm their feelings about themselves, even to the point of placing the school system as a greater authority in the student's life than the parents. That is dangerous and alarming. All students should be respected, all students should be protected from bullying, all students should be closely monitored if giving warning signs of self-harm or suicide. This model, however, oversteps multiple boundaries. It should not be imposed. I strongly oppose it as a mother, taxpayer, public health practitioner, and pediatric nurse.