VERY OPPOSED, do not adopt these policies!!

Rebecca Black, University of Virginia School of Law

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Why are we pitting parents' rights against children's? These is complete nonsense. Parents have so much control over their children already. Allow children the opportunity to express their identity at school! It has never been in children's best interest for parents to have control over every second of their lives. Children used to be able to run around outside all day without parent supervision. This idea that parents need to control the way students express themselves in school is totally ludicrous. Why are parents so obsessed with control their kids lives? Relax!!


parental rights

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Dear Board Members, and teachers at our publc schools,

Please let we the parents decide for our kids the morals we believe in.  You have a right to your beliefs.  Please do not bring them into the classroom.  Please teach academics.  Parents should be notified of behavior that is not appropriate.  Nothing should be done with the health of a child without parental permission.  That is how it must be and should be.

Thank, mother of 3, grandmom of 6

Mary Ryan


Not in kids' best interest -- Repeal the 2022 Model Policies

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I have a close family friend with a trans daughter who is around 10 years old. She lives in Pennsylvania, and she was able to find support and receive gender-affirming public education. Before this support, she was depressed and suicidal, even for being so young. Now, I worry for Virginian kids like her who won't be able to find this support. It is not an exaggeration to say that kids WILL die. If you actually care about kids and their best interest, you would refuse to adopt this Model Policy.

The 2021 Model Policies contained over sixty resources for the treatment of trans students in Virginia’s K-12 public schools. The resources provided considered the needs of school divisions, professional development, students, parents, and advocacy organizations. The sources provided were up-to-date and many centered on trans students’ needs in particular, drawing from LGBTQ+ organizations such as GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and PFLAG. The resources provided in the 2021 Model Policies also drew from professional associations and government agencies such as the American Psychological Association, the Virginia School Boards Association, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education.

However, the 2022 Model Policies removed essentially all the above resources. Instead, they replaced the other resources with nine resources focused almost entirely on the parental roles in bullying prevention. Eight of these resources come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, largely from the Centers for Disease Control in particular. The other resource comes from the U.S. Department of Justice. The 2022 Model Policies do not contain a single resource from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, and none are tailored specifically toward trans students.

Preventing the bullying of all students, especially trans students, is an incredibly important goal for Virginia’s public schools. However, it is not the only issue that trans students face. By removing all resources from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the 2022 Model Policies, VDOE sends its message loud and clear: it cares more about the parent’s role in bullying prevention, and not at all about the resources it can provide trans and other LGBTQ+ students in navigating bullying, harassment, and discrimination.


Opposed to these transgender policies - they put children and teens at a higher risk of being abused

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Youngkin’s proposed policies for transgender students ignores two key facts of life: children deserve respect and not all parents are kind.

Although the aim is to strengthen parental involvement in their children’s public schooling, it goes too far. Children, no matter the age, deserve some amount of privacy, especially regarding sensitive subjects such as this. They are autonomous beings who deserve love, care, and respect from all those around them. Queer children deserve privacy just the same as everyone else. They shouldn’t be outed to their parents because children know their parents best, they know how their parents will react and have chosen not to tell them for a specific reason. Queer children seek help in schools because they know their parents won’t provide them with the counseling or support they need or the children are too scared to ask – too scared to find out what their parents might do.

Another key fact that these policies ignore is that not all parents are loving. Not all parents are kind. Not all parents care about their children. My entire friend group is queer and many of them have unaccepting, unkind parents who would fly into a rage at the idea of their child being transgender. My friends learned to hide their identities when they were in their teens because they knew what their parents would do to them. They would be punished, whether it be taking their phone away, cutting them off financially, kicking them to the street, engaging in emotional abuse, or even going so far as physical abuse.

 My friends and I are college-age now, we live away from home and have the ability to escape our parents or cut them off to protect ourselves. Children don’t have that luxury. Imagine telling a parent their child is transgender and the parent promptly goes home to “beat the gay” out of their child. Outing children to their parents can cause irreparable harm to the child’s mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

Outing children can kill them.


Strongly support Gov. Youngkin

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As a parent of a child who struggled with gender identity, I personally know a lot about this topic.  Our daughter’s struggle to figure out who she was came about around age thirteen.  She was very much a tomboy, dressed in more masculine clothes, and now says at the time she even thought she wanted to be a boy.  She had some unresolved feelings of rejection from her dad who was not involved in her life.   She says now that at that time, she thought if she was a boy her dad would love her and pay attention to her.  Fortunately, we did not ever waver in continuing to embrace her as our daughter and helped her work through these feelings of rejection rather than encouraging her to change who God made her to be.  20 years later she is very happily married with a wonderful husband and family.  She would not have the beautiful life she has today had we approached this differently.

How many other children are simply confused about who they are and need the love and support of the adults in their life to work through these issues rather than change themselves by drugs, surgery, etc.  Kids have a fundamental right to be protected from making decisions that are body and life altering.   Additionally, kids in our school systems need to be protected from manipulation from outside authorities and parents have the right to know what is happening with their children so they can support and encourage them in whatever they are facing.  We support this new policy.


Keep males out of my daughter’s bathroom

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The ultra left wingers have entered a new realm of perversion. Thank you governor!


Thank you God Bless

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<p>Thank for protecting our children </p>


Strongly Oppose

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<p>As a Christian I cannot support something which is intended to cause harm to already vulnerable young people. I also do not support something which violates Virginia residents' religious freedom by forcing a narrow, bigoted version of Christianity on all public school students. The previous policy was good and should be allowed to stand.         </p>


Violates Separation of Church & State

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<p>This policy is rebuked by modern scientific studies, and is instead rooted in the Judeo-Christian resurgence of radical fundamentalism leeching into policymaking. </p>


No transgender information at all.

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There should be no transgender information given by the schools at all, regardless of parents agree or not. No sex education should be taught  at all, that is the duty of the parents to teach.  No teacher should be forcing their false beliefs  on children, like woke etc. No child should be brainwash by teachers. Teachers should be of the highest moral standing with grounded thinking.


I oppose


SUPPORT 100% Parent's Rights. END the "woke" Nonsense

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As a Virginian citizen, I fully support the 2022 Model Policies. Parents – not school employees – should be the only ones discussing sexuality and any gender-confusion with their child. No school employee should ever seek to undermine a parent’s right to decide what is best for their child – especially not to push harmful Gender Confusion Theory on an underage student. Furthermore, it is unfair and wrong to allow biologically male athletes to compete as and against female athletes. Not only does this create an unfair advantage that discourages female athletes from even competing, but it forces female athletes to share private facilities like locker rooms and showers with males. This is a gross violation of their right to privacy. On top of which, in such situations female students are forced to endorse the lie that the male athletes have actually changed their gender. It is always wrong and harmful to push lies upon young students. Gender is based in biology, not mental confusion or preference.

Thank You Governor Youngkin!


I Support the Governor

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Dear Governor and State Officials,

I believe both the rights of transgender students and the rights of all other students can be honored, protected, and respected. While this rewritten policy is not perfect, it does enable parents to be fully involved in their children's lives and, therefore, accountable to their children and to the school system for discussing transgenderism and related topics at home. The family unit should have the primary responsibility for having such discussions, regardless of decisions made or outcomes created. From a biblical standpoint, God created all of mankind as male or female, not anything beyond that distinction.


STRONGLY SUPPORT YOUNGKIN

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<p>STRONGLY SUPPORT Parental rights!  </p>


STRONGLY OPPOSE

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The 2021 Model Policies unequivocally required students to provide access to facilities, such as bathroom and locker rooms, corresponding with their gender identity. Additionally, the 2021 Model Policies required schools to provide access to single-use/gender-inclusive facilities or another reasonable accommodation for any student who voiced a concern about privacy. These policies properly aligned with federal law which requires schools to allow students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identity.

The 2022 Model Policies blatantly violate federal law. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020). Grimm held that the school board's policy prohibiting transgender students from using restrooms that did not match their biological genders violated equal protection and was not substantially related to protecting student privacy. The current proposed model policies similarly require students to use locker rooms, bathrooms, overnight travel accommodations, and other intimate spaces based upon their “biological sex.” Practically, these policies will subject trans students to humiliation, harassment, and even violence as they are forced to use facilities that do not align with their gender identity. Additionally, these policies will almost certainly force trans students to out themselves by using a school facility they have likely not used in years.

The 2022 Model Policies require that access to facilities be made in respect to federal law, but blatantly contradict them. For example, the 2022 Model Policies require bathroom access based on “biological sex” as indicated by the student’s record which is in direct opposition to Grimm. The 2022 Model Policies require districts to break the law while trying to save face and tell them to follow it within the very same paragraphs.

This is wrong because it will place trans students in danger and blatantly violates federal law. This will directly harm current students and set a dangerous precedent for future generations of Virginia students.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Support our Trans students

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I think it is important that our LGBTQ+ students know that we support them and create a space where they are allowed to express who they are and what they value.


Repeal the 2022 Model Policies - Strongly Oppose

Helen Song, University of Virginia School of Law

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To the Virginia Department of Education:

My name is Helen Song, and I respectfully submit this comment in opposition to the proposed 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students in Virginia’s Public Schools. These Model Policies are contrary to state law, will lead to discrimination against transgender and nonbinary students, and will cause widespread violations of the rights of students, parents, and school personnel.

I am a nonbinary student currently attending school at the University of Virginia School of Law. I have several friends who are parents of children currently attending public schools in Virginia that would be affected by the changes enacted by the 2022 Model Policies.

The 2021 Model Policies correctly prohibited “any and all discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on an individual’s actual or perceived . . . sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.” The 2021 Model Policies also required that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention” and that “[c]omplaints alleging discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on a student’s actual or perceived gender identity shall be handled in the same manner as other discrimination or harassment complaints.”

The 2022 Model Policies make disappointing and harmful changes to bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies. First, it removes the explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Instead, the only gender identity term it protects explicitly is “sex” which is defined by the 2022 Model Policies as “biological sex.” While the bullying, harassment, and discrimination policy still protect “any other characteristic protected by law,” the removal of sexual orientation and gender identity as explicit categories sends a clear message: the VDOE does not care about LGBTQ+ youth being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against.

Second, the 2022 Model Policies explicitly erase required training for staff on LGBTQ+ health and mental well-being. The 2021 Model Policies required “[a]ll school mental health professionals shall be trained annually on topics relating to LGBTQ+ students, including safety and support for LGBTQ+ students.” However, the 2022 Model Policies changed that language to only require that “[s]chool personnel shall be trained annually on health and mental wellness support to, and safety of, all students.” This is a drastic change from the 2021 Model Policies that explicitly erases LGBTQ+ health and mental well-being training, and it will harm all LGBTQ+ students. This is harmful as LGBTQ+ youth experience more bullying and discrimination on average, thus causing many LGBTQ+ youth to struggle with mental health issues.

The 2022 Model Policies do keep the language of the 2021 Model Policies that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention, including investigating the incident and taking appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action, by the school administrator.” However, because of the changes listed above, I still have major concerns regarding the 2022 Model Policies.

Protecting any student from bullying, discrimination, and harassment is an important goal for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. My concern is that gender identity and sexual orientation are no longer explicitly protected classes under the 2022 Model Policies and that school personnel are no longer required to obtain LGBTQ+ specific health and mental wellness professional development. In fact, it feels like VDOE is bullying the very trans kids they are claiming to protect by removing resources and policies aimed at supporting and protecting them.

This is wrong because LGBTQ+ students, especially trans students, experience more bullying and discrimination on average that has been widely reported to lead to negative mental health, decline in academic performance, and even suicide. As a queer, nonbinary student in Virginia myself, I relied and continue to rely heavily on school resources and personnel who were LGBTQ+ friendly to help me navigate school. Without properly trained personnel and protections, I cannot imagine how I would have been able to thrive in school settings. I also have friends who are parents of LGBTQ+ youth who need to be protected from bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

I strongly believe all students will suffer under the changes introduced by the 2022 Model Policies. For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


I am opposed to this policiy

Benjamin Stievater, life-long Virginia resident

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I was born and raised in northern Virginia and this issue is deeply important to me. Please do not adopt these policies. I have friends and family who will be impacted by this. I am very worried about the mental welfare of trans children


Strongly OPPOSE

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I am a mom of two students in Virginia public schools, and I am a licensed clinical social worker.  I am overly saddened by these new proposed guidelines and am shocked that we in the state of Virginia are not more inclusive of all people.  I wish issues of basic human experience were not always politicized.

Sadly, atrocious events like what occurred in Loudon County are too often politicized (as by Gov. Youngkin in his campaign) and the facts are grossly misconstrued in an effort to target LBGTQ+ inclusion policies.  However, there is vast evidence showing that there is not a link between such policies and increased sexual violence.

The Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA’s School of Law, did a study, which concluded that there is no relationship in the number of crimes occurring in areas that have transgender laws allowing facilities usage.  In fact, the average number of resm incidents was increased in localities without transgender laws.

We are too focused on what will happen to those students who are not part of the LGBTQ+ community if inclusion policies exist, and we aren’t focused enough (or at all) on what happens to the trans and nonbinary students when the policies don’t exist.

Many studies show the direct link between limiting restroom access and harm that occurs to LGBTQ+ students.  A 2019 study headed by Harvard’s School of Public Health found that these youth are more likely to have experienced sexual assault or harassment if they attend a school that does not permit them to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity.

Please act out of human dignity, not out of fear or politics, and put trans-inclusion protections back into the VDOE model policies.


STRONGLY OPPOSE - The 2022 Model Polices are Discriminatory

Sabrina Surgil, 2L at University of Virginia School of Law

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As a law student, I have learned that it is important to write and enact laws that provide students with autonomy over their identity. The discriminatory nature of the 2022 Model Policies will harm transgender and LGBTQ students, who deserve to live the lives they choose in Virginia--as much as anyone else. As a Virginia resident, I am ashamed by the 2022 Model Policies--we can and should do better.

To look directly at the law, the 2022 Model Policies define far fewer terms regarding gender identity than the 2021 Model Policies. The 2021 Model Policies defined eleven scientifically-backed and LGBTQ+-inclusive terms surrounding gender identity. The 2022 Model Policies define only two terms regarding gender identity: “sex” and “transgender student.”

Neither of these definitions meet the evidence-based best practices as is required in Va. Code § 22.1-23.3(A). Sex is defined as “biological sex” in the 2022 Model Policies. The 2022 Model Policies also define “transgender student” as “a public school student whose parent has requested in writing, due to their child’s persistent and sincere belief that his or her gender differs with his or her sex, that their child be so identified while at school.” Both these definitions use outdated and scientifically incorrect terminology in defining the trans identity. The 2022 Model Policies’ definitions and terminology cannot meet the evidence-based best practices requirement.

Notably, the 2022 Model Policies define being trans as depending on parents’ recognition instead of the student’s self-identification. They further call being trans the student’s “belief” which reinforces the false narrative that being trans is a choice as opposed to a deeply held knowledge and realization of one’s identity. It further operates on a male/female binary by using the term “his or her” that is demonstrably and scientifically false as it erases the existence of intersex and nonbinary people. This shift in definitions completely strips trans children of the self-determination of their identity in Virginia’s public schools.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


This is bullying on a vulnerable marginalized group. You can't "catch" being trans.

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<p>I am very saddened at this proposed model policy.  I oppose!!!!!! You will be taking away the most significant safe place in a trans youth's life. </p>


STRONGLY OPPPOSED

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I am a law student at UVA and have many friends who are from and will continue to live in the state of Virginia. I am so worried for the state of affairs here. Children are going to die as a result of these policies. The idea that children cannot be trusted to choose their gender identity is fallacious on its face because we ALL chose our gender identities! Let kids be themselves!!


“2022 Model Policies”

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Governor Youngkin is doing the work of the voters.

No school system should have the authority to teach CRT or Gender identity. This is the responsibility of the parents.  Simple sex education as was done in the 80's-90's is what is expected and we still have the option to opt out.  First and foremost no teacher, advisor, or anyone else is responsible for the child only the parents. Anyone teaching or coaching a child not to be transparent with their parents must be terminated immediately.  School is for education not social issues or personal issues.  The schools and teachers need to stay in their lane by teaching. If a child comes to them with an issue then they need to go to the parents and head of the school. Not their child, not their responsibility.

This politically correct and emotional blackmail has gone way too far and has crossed lines. The time for taking responsibility is now.


Sexual identity is not a choice

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I think it is horrible to flip-flop publicly or lawfully on anyone's identity as to if it is right or wrong. Wether society accepts this or not, it will not help the situation.  People dont wish to be discriminated.   Hated or bullied.   Glorified or told their brave.  They just want to walk among society freely like any other person who does so.


Strongly SUPPORT, restore parental and student safety rights

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This is why we voted Governor Youngkin into office. It's time to restore our system where parents have a say about their children's education. These new political cultures have no place in our children's schools! Keep the government out of our children's classrooms.  Our children need to learn about real science and biology and not about how they should feel!


Transgender policy

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<p>Youngkin’s new policy endangers our children and removes teachers as trusted advisors. He displays his callousness and lack of understanding of the science and psychology. </p>


Do not adopt the 2022 Model Policies

Sumit Kapur, University of Virginia School of Law

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My name is Sumit Kapur, and I am a student at the University of Virginia School of Law. The 2022 Model Policies deprive trans students of the most basic human rights and protections. Imagine having to use facilities that didn’t correspond with your gender identity—would you feel safe? Would you feel respected? Valued? That’s the horrifying reality that the VDOE imposes upon trans students with the 2022 Model Policies. Along with being a step back for human rights, these policy changes actively hurt people in our own state. With these changes, we are turning our backs on our own people, and for what?

Many of my family members are still in public education, and policies like these are tangibly changing their lives for the worse. These policies place the religious preferences of a small swathe of adults over the immediate needs of students.

The 2021 Model Policies unequivocally required students to provide access to facilities, such as bathroom and locker rooms, corresponding with their gender identity. Additionally, the 2021 Model Policies required schools to provide, upon request from any student voicing privacy concerns, access to single-use/gender-inclusive facilities or another reasonable accommodation. These policies aligned with federal law which requires schools to allow students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identity.

The 2022 Model Policies blatantly violate federal law. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020). These policies require students to use locker rooms, bathrooms, overnight travel accommodations, and other intimate spaces based upon their “biological sex.” Practically, this violation means trans students will be subject to humiliation, harassment, and even violence by using a facility that does not align with their gender identity. Not to mention, this will force certain trans students to out themselves by using a school facility they have likely not used in years.

The 2022 Model Policies require that access to facilities be made in respect to federal law, but flatly contradict them. For example, the 2022 Model Policies require bathroom access based on “biological sex” as indicated by the student’s record which is in direct opposition to Grimm. The 2022 Model Policies require districts to break the law while trying to save face and tell them to follow it within the very same paragraphs.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Strongly Opposed

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Stop using children as political weaponry


Opposing this policy and others like it now and forever

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Further discriminatory policies as usual. This policy will only endanger children's lives and futures by denying them their self-determination and outing them to abusive or unaccepting parents. This policy is cruel, callous, and deliberately targeting vulnerable youths and is yet another attack on the bodily autonomy of the residents of this country. I oppose this policy and I will keep opposing this policy and others like it until I am laid in my grave.

As our elected government, it is your job to so to the safety and wellbeing of residents of this state and this policy does neither.

Discard it.


Follow the Science/Oppose

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As a public health professional and a resident of Virginia, I vehemently oppose the proposed “Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools.” In its recently-released evidence-based guidance (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644), the World Professional Association for Transgender Health notes that discrimination is directly tied to rates of suicide in gender diverse individuals. Data show that denial of access to gender-appropriate bathrooms has been associated with increased suicidality, while the use of chosen names for transgender and gender diverse people has been associated with lower depression and suicidality (Russell, S. T., Pollitt, A. M., Li, G., & Grossman, A. H. (2018). Chosen name use is linked to reduced depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior among transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 6 3 (4), 503–505).

Medical professional societies (the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Psychiatric Association, Endocrine Society, Pediatric Endocrine Society, and the North American Society of Adolescent and Pediatric Gynecology) representing clinicians who care for transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers recognize the need to support transgender and gender diverse adolescents and overwhelmingly support the provision of appropriate and evidence-based care for this population.

We must look to the data that show the importance of recognizing and supporting transgender and gender-diverse adolescents. We should not ignore this data because of ignorance and fear. Schools should be a safe haven for kids, especially when familial support is lacking. This is literally a matter of life and death for young people.


I support Governor Youngkin

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“As a Virginian citizen, I fully support the 2022 Model Policies. Parents – not school employees – should be the only ones discussing sexuality and any gender-confusion with their child. No school employee should ever seek to undermine a parent’s right to decide what is best for their child – especially not to push harmful Gender Confusion Theory on an underage student. Furthermore, it is unfair and wrong to allow biologically male athletes to compete as and against female athletes. Not only does this create an unfair advantage that discourages female athletes from even competing, but it forces female athletes to share private facilities like locker rooms and showers with males. This is a gross violation of their right to privacy. On top of which, in such situations female students are forced to endorse the lie that the male athletes have actually changed their gender. It is always wrong and harmful to push lies upon young students. Gender is based in biology, not mental confusion or preference.”


Opposed

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Children deal with so many pressures at school. If we want them to focus, learn and take full advantage of all the educational opportunities provided to them, they must feel comfortable and welcomed at school. We must create policies that support ALL students, just as they are.  Please reject this policy!


Do not adopt the 2022 Model Policies

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The 2022 proposed Model Policies present contradictory standards regarding the identification of students. While III(D)(1) states that “Every effort should be made to ensure that a transgender student wishing to change his or her means of address is treated with respect, compassion, and dignity in the classroom and school environment,” the guidelines which follow require school staff to misgender (use the wrong pronouns for) and deadname (use the wrong name for) transgender students unless their parents specifically request otherwise in writing. For a student with an unsupportive family, that requirement presents an impossible hurdle.

Forcing staff to use names and pronouns that do not match a student’s presentation and identity will cause real harm. Respecting trans students’ preferred names improves their mental health and lowers suicidal ideation and attempts. (Stephen T. Russell et al., Chosen Name Use Is Linked to Reduced Depressive Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicidal Behavior Among Transgender Youth, Journal of Adolescent Health https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X18300855). Additionally, if the proposed guidelines are applied consistently, they could expose any child who goes by a name other than their legal name of record to embarrassment and bullying.

This is wrong because, while parental rights exist, they do not exist at the expense of their child being exposed to a harmful environment, which would occur with this policy.

This affects friends of mine who struggled with their gender identity through school before coming out and becoming comfortable in their identity. Fortunately, they had all experienced coming out and telling their loved ones in a way that was most comfortable for them, leading to support for them, rather than a traumatizing experience.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Knock off the MAGA nonsense, Youngkin

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<p>Transgender kids have enough difficulties without being used as pawns for political grandstanding by MAGA tool Youngkin. There are so many other issues that have so much greater priority. </p>


Support The Gov. rewrite

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<p>I support the new rewrite of the policy. Parents should be the deciding factor when it comes to what to label their own kids. You cant smoke, drink or go to war until you are 18-21... why would you be able to change what you have in your pants </p>


Strongly oppose the transphobic BS

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<p>This policy does not protect students. The 2021 VDOE Policy protects kids like my transgender son from being discriminated against at school. It is a basic right and freedom in America to be respected regardless of your gender identity, or so I thought. I strongly oppose Youngkin's bullsh* policy that takes away freedoms with flowery language about parents rights. Adults still have all the same rights! The point of the policy is to protect the rights of trans and nonbinary students! </p>


STRONGLY Oppose

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Hello, my name is Anna, and I am a law student at UVA. I am a member of the Lambda Law Alliance, the LGBTQ+ student group here. I am writing to oppose Governor Youngkin’s model policies for the treatment of transgender students. There’s no elegant way to put it, these policies will deprive youth of three of the fundamental rights the United States and the state of Virginia purport to hold dear: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

These phrases come from the Declaration of Independence. They are not legally binding. They are, however, at the very foundation of our government. They are inalienable rights, granted to all citizens of this nation. All citizens, including those of every gender identity and expression. I am studying to become a lawyer because I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live as they are, fully and authentically, under the protection of the law. The proposed rollback on trans students’ rights infringes on this opportunity, and I am not exaggerating when I say this will have grave effects on these students’ futures.

First, life. Transgender youth report significantly higher rates of depression and suicidality than their cisgender peers. According to a 2019 report by the Trevor Project, one in three trans youth attempted suicide in the year studied. Governor Youngkin’s policies restricting the rights of trans students have the potential to exacerbate these already somber statistics. Many queer students lack a supportive environment at home. They are unsure whether their families will accept them, worried about how existing relationships could change, and in the most extreme cases, legitimately fearful for their safety. School is often one of the only safe places for queer youth to explore the nuances of their identities, to learn about who they are in relation to their peers, and to develop a sense of self that is fully their own. Governor Youngkin’s policy infringes on this sacred space by forcing students who wish to use a chosen name or pronouns at school to seek parental permission, and it prohibits schools from concealing such information from parents, who in some cases, will react to this news by turning their child out on the streets, putting their lives at great risk.

Second, liberty. Governor Youngkin’s policy will also require students to use facilities for their biological sex, limiting their ability to freely exercise their right to choose where to simply exist on school grounds. Freedom of movement and freedom of expression are core components of liberty, but more importantly, they are absolutely integral to the creation and maintenance of human dignity. Youth are just beginning to figure out who they want to be in the world, and they deserve to be able to do so–messily, clumsily, beautifully, and powerfully–wherever they are. They deserve to choose how to present themselves, where to put their bodies, and how to speak their minds. Under the proposed model policies, these rights will be severely restricted, at great detriment to young people’s development.

Finally, the pursuit of happiness. It is easy to shout statistics from the rooftops, as I have done at the beginning of this comment. It is easy to hammer home all the harmful effects policies like these will have on youth. It is easy, most of all, to get angry. To be filled with righteous, queer rage, so much that I could have written a comment full of nothing but vitriol. But I believe in the power of queer joy. I believe queer joy is a greater motivating factor than rage, and rage is one of the more powerful catalysts we have. But it cannot be the only one. The founders of this nation put a provision for the pursuit of happiness into one of the foundational documents out of which grew the government as we know it. A handful of politicians’ outdated views about social norms, civil rights, and parent’s rights cannot be allowed to dictate policy for hundreds of thousands of young people, who as fellow citizens, also have the right to pursue happiness. While I am cis, I am a lesbian, and I know just how healing queer joy is. I am here at UVA, a law student, and I am happier than I have ever been. I am in a space where I can be fully myself, with a community that supports me. I didn’t always have this. I spent years buried in the closet, watching myself grow smaller and smaller with the secrets I was holding, until they threatened to swallow me whole. No one should have to go through this to preserve their safety. No one should have to go through this, period. Governor Youngkin’s policies threaten to shatter decades of progress made for trans and nonbinary students, pushing them further into the darkness, when they should be allowed to live exactly as they are, full of light, as free and equal citizens of this democracy.


New VDOE Draft Policies

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I strongly Support the Governors proposed policies. Parents need to be involved with the decisions of their Children!


2022 Model Policies

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As a citizen of Virginia, I fully and strongly support Governor Youngkin's Administration's 2022 Model Policies and believe that parents alone should be directing their children in regards to sexual and gender matters.  I believe that children who describe themselves as transgender should not be allowed to use private facilities with any children who are not of the same biological/birth gender as them and I believe that such children should not be allowed to play sports on a team that is for the gender opposite of their biological/birth gender.


Being transgender is not a choice

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Children need to be supported regardless of gender identification.


Not a political issue

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<p>I understand you think that allowing trans-people to live their lives is a political issue and that's how you are justifying taking rights away. There is nothing political at work here. Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to have children who want to do this. Trans Rights are human rights. Disallowing these rights is the only thing making it political. Then it becomes a significant health and safety issue. </p>


I support the 2022 policies

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Schools have no business telling children what to do regarding their genders. It's science/biology, not feelings. Children are very vulnerable & are simply not mature enough to make life changing decisions. This is why they have to be 18 to vote & enlist in the military.

Parents should be included in any & all decisions regarding THEIR children!


Strongly oppose

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This is not in the best interest of children.


I fully support Gov. YOUNGKIN POLICY

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I fully support Gov. YOUNGKIN


Oppose

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<p>Opposed to ruling </p>


Strongly oppose this legislation as it brings discrimination back in to our PUBLIC Schools

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Singling out a group of people in school policy is discrimination. The Virginia Values Act bans discrimination against LGBTQ people in places of public accommodation, which includes educational institutions like public schools. This means that schools must offer a safe and equal learning environment to all students, teachers, and staff, including those who are LGBTQ. Public Schools should remain a safe space for our children.

History has shown that each generation brings positive social change and this generation will be successful in ending discrimination of those that identify as LGBTQ. Change is inevitable and if the governor forces the DOE to adopt these policies then we will once again witness the state of Virginia choosing the wrong side of the social issue. Sexist and racist school policies have been changed and this too will happen for LGBTQ students. Those changes were already made for Virginia in 2021. You may choose to move the positive social change backwards but I promise that you we will see them changed back to supporting LGBTQ students in the very near future. Please do not place more lives at stake by bring back discriminatory policies in our public schools. Have we not witnessed enough of this?


Opposition- Let’s focus on education

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<p>Let trans students be! Allow students the space to be who they want to be. Let’s focus on what they’re in school for: to learn. We need to keep schools welcoming, accepting, and motivating. How can adding this anxiety over students’ self expression further their education? There is no benefit. This policy only serves to hinder and disrupt the education of CHILDREN. Don’t use these students as pawns to further your political ideology. </p>


I stand with the Governor!

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We the people voted for Governor Hong kin and what we need for our Commonwealth!


I support the Governor

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I support our Governor and his effort to stop this takeover of our schools and our children by this new dangerous and distructive social disaster. Once again we prove Ronald Reagan Was right.

 i


I OPPOSE Youngkin's attempt to vilify Trans kids

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This policy will harm kids; some of them will die. Suicide and self-harm rates for trans kids are very high, and that's because they are targeted for abuse by other students and by too many adults. This policy declares open season on trans kids. It's the policy, not the kids, that should go away.


Strongly oppose bullying trans children

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Trans children will exist, regardless of attempts to force them to conform to their gender assigned at birth. Will we welcome them at school and treat them with kindness, or will we bully them into hiding their true identities?

The proposed policies violate the law as adopted by the legislature. They are designed to be cruel to trans children for no good reason. They are based on irrational fears of children who are different.

Shame on the GOP for using the fear of trans children to gin up support for their political power.


Yes-STRONGLY SUPPORT

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<p>Only parents and legal guardians should be allowed to influence our children in areas of gender identity and education. </p>


Strongly SUPPORT this step to restore parental and student safety rights

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This is why the Governor was voted in  - to give parents back the lawful right of raising their children.   Parents should be making decisions for their  children - not the GOVERNMENT. God bless all who stand up for children with truth, biology, dignity, and respect.


Strongly SUPPORT the new 2022 policies

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Stop misguided leftist policies in schools. The new policies from Governor Youngkin promote teaching in schools instead of indoctrination to leftist ideology.


Strongly support new bill

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Informing parents about what goes on at school is the job of teachers and administration in schools. Parents know about learning standards, field trips, fundraising, homework’s, and events. It isn’t legal to keep them out of the loop when we are talking about life decisions surrounding their children. Schools beg for parental support to make their teaching work, we need school support as well. Children will continue to be pulled out of school systems and homeschooled if this illegal, sneaky behavior continues. Parental RIGHTS come first. You can’t help a child or raise them into a rational adult if you do not know what is going on in their lives.


In Opposition to the Proposed "2022 Model Policies"

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<p>I strongly oppose this proposed legislation of "2022 Model Policies." Schools should prioritize the emotional and physical wellbeing of their students. The proposition to contact parents and inform them of their child's gender identity puts them directly in the way of potential harm. You cannot assume a parent would handle the situation well. You are putting children at risk of enduring abuse when they come home. Additionally, hiding one's true identity is detrimental to mental health and social-well being. There is no doubt that the well being of transgender students will be at risk. This will likely result in increased bullying, as well as suicide attempts. Research indicates that allowing a transgender youth to go by their preferred name and pronouns has decreased suicide attempts by 56% (Russell et al. 2018). I also find it quite shameful that policy makers are using "religious beliefs" to justify putting children in harms way. As a dedicated person of faith, I believe that ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all God's people is important, and these policies are in direct opposition to this. This proposed legislation is also in violation against existing Virginia Code § 22.1-23.3. For all these reasons, most importantly the concern of wellbeing and safety of transgender students, I strongly oppose these proposed policies. </p>
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NO to New Model Policies, Which Will Increase Harassment and Bullying

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Hello. I am a law student at a top law school here in Virginia.

The 2021 Model Policies prohibited “any and all discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on an individual’s actual or perceived . . . sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.” The 2021 Model Policies also required that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention” and that “[c]omplaints alleging discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on a student’s actual or perceived gender identity shall be handled in the same manner as other discrimination or harassment complaints.” Finally, the 2021 Model Policies required the establishment of a school contact for both students and parents should the complaint be “not resolved at the school level.”

The 2022 Model Policies make disappointing and harmful changes to bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies. First, it removes the explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Instead, the only gender identity term it protects explicitly is “sex” which is defined by the 2022 Model Policies as “biological sex.” While the bullying, harassment, and discrimination prohibitions also protect “any other characteristic protected by law,” the removal of sexual orientation and gender identity as explicit categories sends a clear message: VDOE does not care about LGBTQ+ youth being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against.

Second, the 2022 Model Policies require that “[s]chool personnel shall be trained annually on health and mental wellness support to, and safety of, all students.” This is a drastic change from the 2021 Model Policies which required “[a]ll school mental health professionals shall be trained annually on topics relating to LGBTQ+ students, including safety and support for LGBTQ+ students.” The 2022 Model Policies therefore explicitly erase required training for staff on LGBTQ+ health and mental well-being.

Thankfully, the 2022 Model Policies keep the language of the 2021 Model Policies that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention, including investigating the incident and taking appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action, by the school administrator.” It also keeps the language that “[t]he [School Division’s Designated Contact] shall be available to hear concerns from students and parents when complaints are not resolved at the school level.” It also adds additional language that “[b]ullying of any student by another student, for any reason, cannot be tolerated in our schools. Intervening immediately to stop bullying on the spot can help ensure a safer school environment for all students.”

Stopping bullying for any student is an important goal for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. My concern is that gender identity and sexual orientation are no longer explicitly protected classes under the 2022 Model Policies and that school personnel are no longer required to obtain LGBTQ+ specific health and mental wellness professional development. In fact, it feels like VDOE is bullying the very trans kids they are claiming to protect by removing resources and policies aimed at supporting and protecting them.

The contradictory nature of the model policy found in Appendix 1, III.D.6 belies the true nature of this policy. Allowing teachers to deadname their students even if parent approval for name and records change has been approved runs counter to the (in my opinion misguided) idea that the goal of the Model Policy is to empower parents and also to the idea that students should be free from bullying or harassment. This subsection of the Appendix expressly permits behavior by school officials that amounts to bullying and harassment while allowing those same officials to act outside of the wishes of parents who have chosen to affirm their child's identity.

We must ask ourselves, then, what is the goal of this model policy if not to empower parents? Again, I reiterate that this nor any other goal is sufficient reason to put forth the harmful policies that are present in this Model Policy, many of which, if enacted, will result in an increase in the self-harm of trans children. But given the fact that there is proposed policy that actually undercuts parental rights to affirm a trans child's gender identity, we must assume, in the absence of any coherently expressed goal, that the true goals of his Model Policy are any easily predictable results that will occur if this or similar policy is enacted. As described above, the implications of the policy are quite clear, and any enactment must be seen as intentional cruelty toward these vulnerable students.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Strongly oppose

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As a physician I try to respect my patients choices as long as they are not injurious. What is the harm in calling a person by their chosen pronoun or name? How is this any different than having a student called by a nickname? Attending middle and high school is emotionally difficult enough for students at that age. There are already issues with identity and  acceptance. If this makes them more comfortable, why is the government trying to challenge their sense of well being? The health and welfare of our students should be a priority which is best achieved by continuing with the 2021 guidelines.


I STRONGLY OPPOSE

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This policy change regarding trans and non-binary youth in schools is appalling. Let the kids be who they say they are. Call them by their chosen names, respect their pronouns. Let them use whatever bathroom they feel comfortable in. We need to PROTECT and SUPPORT these children. Forced outing of these children to their parents  is simply wrong. If these children do not feel safe to disclose their true selves at home, let them be authentic and safe at school. Do not remove that safety and sanctity of school.  How dare you.

I am incredibly opposed to Youngkin’s proposed school policy.


Protect Trans Kids

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I’m a graduate of Virginia Public Schools and a Virginia public university, and have spent extensive time working with students across Virginia and across the United States. Virginia is my home, and at the moment I’m ashamed to admit it.

One of the things I cherish most about my experience in Virginia schools was having the freedom to experiment and learn more about myself alongside my peers, as well as being alongside many students who were able to live as their authentic selves in the school environment, even when their home environment was less than welcoming. On the other side, I also saw many students struggle with their identity when they were surrounded by teachers who would make targeted comments at them for being more feminine or masculine than they “should be” or gossip about which of their students they thought could be gay, trans, or some other label. When students are bullied by another student, they are told they need to tell a teacher, but what if the teacher is the one who is perpetuating these harmful stereotypes? Who can a student turn to for help from there? If they believe that asking for help will get them in even more trouble, many toxic and traumatic situations will go completely unnoticed until there are extreme consequences.

If you’ve ever met a middle or high school student, you may have noticed that they like to try out different labels or identities until they find one that sticks. Gender identity can sometimes be included in this as well. It’s not like the school nurse is secretly providing students with hormones or allowing students to medically transition without the knowledge of their parents in the school environment. To my knowledge, there is nothing unlawful about expressing your gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools, so using § 2.2-3900 as a way to justify this bill makes very little sense. Some people may argue that a sixteen year old is too young to make any decisions about their gender identity, but to give them the freedom to explore this side of themselves can help them to figure out if this is a phase or truly who they are- a friend of mine experimented with ten different name changes in the span of a year, and no one from the school ever revealed this information to their parents. Unless a student is actively threatening to hurt themselves or others, the school has no reason to step in and report their behavior.

For many of my friends, the first people they came out to were trusted English teachers, band directors, drama teachers, and other trusted adults. I remember one of my friends saying that the only time they could feel like themselves was when they were on the stage or in those classrooms, and that they never felt like they had to explain themselves to others. That feeling of safety is what helped these friends eventually pursue secondary education and have meaningful employment in a more accepting environment, and helped them practice for when they would come out to their parents. To make teachers mandatory reporters would mean that this feeling of safety would disappear.

A tangentially related thing I’ve noticed is that parents are not required to be involved in the 504 plan process, a legally binding document for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses including (but not limited to) diabetes, ADHD, visual impairment, asthma, or other conditions to receive accommodations in the classroom. If a student can independently receive disability accommodations and advocate for themselves in matters related to their health, they should be able to do the same with their gender identity and not require parents to be involved.

Another thing that bothers me about this bill is how there appears to be no standards or procedures in place for deciding when to report this information to parents. From how I read it, it looked like a student or teacher could file a false complaint against a student who may not identify as LGBT, and that student could come home and be at a high risk of physical abuse or assault from less than welcoming parents. On the flip side, a student who does identify with one of these labels can be forcibly outed to an equally abusive environment and kicked out of their house with nowhere to go. Virginia already has over 18,000 homeless students based on data from the McKinney-Vento Act, and taking away the feeling of feeling safe at school and safe at home will mean that students will be more likely to drop out and create a life for themselves filled with instability, or they may be more likely to end their life entirely. As a teacher or school professional, do you believe that having a dead student is better than having a trans student?

Also, to the comments claiming that these policies would protect girls from getting sexually assaulted, this is simply not true. As a survivor of sexual assault that took place on school property, I do not see trans people as being something to fear. I’m not peeking into bathroom stalls to figure out who is behind the door or thinking about why someone walked into the gender neutral bathroom- hey, when I injured my foot, I used those bathrooms too. Reading the book Parrotfish by Eileen Wittlinger in middle school also helped me to better understand trans students and how they were not someone to fear, but someone to befriend. To claim that someone would transition with the sole intent of hurting women is a transphobic and vile message that puts even more students at risk and indoctrinates students to believe that being anything but straight makes someone scary or demented.

For a state that displays signs everywhere saying that Virginia is for Lovers, you seem to be filled with lots of hate for vulnerable children and teenagers.


Standing with Gov. Younkin

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The importance of Gov. Youngkin's position on this cannot be over emphasized! Parents must be allowed to raise their children according to THEIR values.


I oppose!

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The 2021 Model Policies unequivocally required students to provide access to facilities, such as bathroom and locker rooms, corresponding with their gender identity. Additionally, the 2021 Model Policies required schools to provide, upon request from any student voicing privacy concerns, access to single-use/gender-inclusive facilities or another reasonable accommodation. These policies aligned with federal law which requires schools to allow students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identity.

The 2022 Model Policies blatantly violate federal law. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020). These policies require students to use locker rooms, bathrooms, overnight travel accommodations, and other intimate spaces based upon their “biological sex.” Practically, this violation means trans students will be subject to humiliation, harassment, and even violence by using a facility that does not align with their gender identity. Not to mention, this will force certain trans students to out themselves by using a school facility they have likely not used in years.

The 2022 Model Policies require that access to facilities be made in respect to federal law, but blatantly contradict them. For example, the 2022 Model Policies require bathroom access based on “biological sex” as indicated by the student’s record which is in direct opposition to Grimm. The 2022 Model Policies require districts to break the law while trying to save face and tell them to follow it within the very same paragraphs.

This is wrong because it infringes on the privacy rights of students and will have deleterious effects on trans students, both academically and socially. While parental rights are a factor, they are not absolute. The state’s interest in protecting children and providing them a safe environment in which to grow is something that the state must protect, in addition to the general privacy rights that children themselves have.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


100% OPPOSED!!


Opposing this Policy

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The 2021 Model Policies allowed school staff to “consider the health and safety of the student in situations where students may not want their parents to know about their gender identity,” a protection that the 2022 Proposed Model Policies remove. While schools are indeed required to comply with FERPA, and parents do have a recognized right to their children’s educational information, those rights are not absolute when they endanger those children’s wellbeing. Further, the 2021 Model Policies permitted disclosure of a student’s gender identity only to other school personnel when there was a legitimate educational interest. The 2022 Model Policies require outing trans students to their parents along with school staff with a legitimate educational interest.

As the 2021 Model Policies acknowledged, disclosing a transgender student's gender identity to an unsupportive family “can pose imminent safety risks, such as losing family support or housing.” A recent study by the Trevor Project reported that 38% of transgender girls, 39% of transgender boys, and 35% of nonbinary youth surveyed had experienced homelessness and housing instability at some point in their lives. ( Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth, The Trevor Project, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/.) These rates are disproportionately greater for non-white LGBTQ+ youth. Id. 16% of LGBTQ+ youth reported running away because of fears of abuse, 14% reported that they were kicked out or abandoned by parents or caregivers. Id.

The United States Supreme Court has found that “a State's interest in safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of a minor is compelling,” and as a result has “sustained legislation aimed at protecting the physical and emotional well-being of youth even when the laws have operated in the sensitive area of constitutionally protected rights.” New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747, 756 (1982).

The new policy could be read to force disclosure of a student’s gender identity even when that disclosure endangers the student.

This is wrong because students could be placed at risk of losing family support, losing an environment that was previously safe to them (both physically and emotionally), and takes away an important moment of choosing to reveal to their parents about their own gender identity in a way that they know is best with their parents.

This affects me as a Virginia student who has previously benefitted from having teachers who are confidants and create a supportive environment. As teachers increasingly have more restrictions placed on them on outing a student’s identity before they are ready, teachers and school overall cease to be a resource and trusted source to students.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Repeal the 2022 Model Policies, Reinstate the 2021 Model Policies

Lauren McNerney, University of Virginia School of Law

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The 2021 Model Policies unequivocally required students to provide access to facilities, such as bathroom and locker rooms, corresponding with their gender identity. Additionally, the 2021 Model Policies required schools to provide, upon request from any student voicing privacy concerns, access to single-use/gender-inclusive facilities or another reasonable accommodation. These policies aligned with federal law which requires schools to allow students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identity.

The 2022 Model Policies blatantly violate federal law. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020). The 2022 policies require students to use locker rooms, bathrooms, overnight travel accommodations, and other intimate spaces based upon their “biological sex.” Practically, this violation means trans students will be subject to humiliation, harassment, and even violence by using a facility that does not align with their gender identity. Not to mention, this will force certain trans students to out themselves by using a school facility they have likely not used in years.

The 2022 Model Policies require that access to facilities be made in respect to federal law, but blatantly contradict them. For example, the 2022 Model Policies require bathroom access based on “biological sex” as indicated by the student’s record which is in direct opposition to Grimm. The 2022 Model Policies plainly require districts to break the law.

This policy, if implemented, will irreparably harm queer and transgender children and unavoidably subject them to verbal and physical harm. This policy is especially egregious in light of the higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide of transgender children due to interpersonal and environmental microaggressions, internalized self-stigma, and adverse childhood experiences (see, e.g., Austin, Ashley et al., Suicidality Among Transgender Youth: Elucidating the Role of Interpersonal Risk Factors, 37 Journal of Interpersonal Violence 5 (2020)).

The 2022 policies thus deny to queer and trans children the basic forms of respect and human dignity afforded to heteronormative children at school––that is, the ability to use the facilities which are best for them and where they are most safe. Arguments that seek to advance the idea that allowing transgender students access to facilities makes cis-gender students less safe have no empirical basis and should not be taken seriously.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Support!  Protect ALL children, not just chosen few.  Pro freedom of speech and parental knowlege

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This is a step in the right direction.  Do not be bullied or bought by a minority that seeks to silence the majority and free speech and religious freedom.  They are not about protection for ALL children, just their chosen few.  Children should not be guided, taught, or demanded to speak in ways that go against their beliefs and those of their parents.  I also think that bathrooms and sports should be separated by biological sex, not an identity.   Remember who you serve, the PEOPLE of the United States of America, and that you will be held accountable.


Attack on Trans Students

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<p>The policy put in place by the previous administration protects the rights and well-being of trans students, one of the most vulnerable populations in our state.  Please do not implement this proposed policy. </p>


OPPOSE - protect children

University of Virginia School of Law student

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The 2022 Model Policies are going to significantly harm trans students. The 2022 Model Policies define being a trans student as “a public school student whose parent has requested in writing, due to their child’s persistent and sincere belief that his or her gender differs from his or her sex, that their child be identified while at school.” It takes the power away from trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students from realizing their identity in their own right and instead defines it in terms of parents’ views. It also refers to gender identity as a “belief” instead of a deeply held knowledge and realization of one’s identity. This promotes a false narrative based on a lack of scientifically-based research. It also erases the identity of nonbinary and intersex people by operating on a male/female binary.

The 2022 Model Policies also remove sexual orientation and gender identity as explicitly protected classes for bullying, harassment, and discrimination. At the same time, it eliminates specific school personnel professional development for the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ students.

Outside of this, the 2022 Model Policies dangerously require misgendering and deadnaming trans students when the student’s preferred name and pronouns are not accurately reflected on student records. Some studies have shown that use of a trans student’s preferred name not only assists with social transition, but also reduces mental health risks such as depression, and suicidal ideation and attempts. https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30085-5/fulltext.

Trans students are also placed in danger of being outed. The 2021 Model Policies allowed disclosure, with a legitimate educational interest, only to other school personnel. The 2022 Model Policies permit disclosure, with a legitimate educational interest or when required by law, to other school personnel and the student’s parents. Many times, students feel safer coming out to school staff instead of their own parents. I believe the choice should rest with the trans student on who they would like to come out to.

Outing can be dangerous. “28% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability.” https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/. These rates are disproportionately greater for non-white LGBTQ+ youth. Id. Further, “[h]omelessness and housing instability were reported at higher rates among transgender and nonbinary youth, including 38% of transgender girls/women, 39% of transgender boys/men, and 35% of nonbinary youth, compared to 23% of cisgender LGBQ youth.” Id. 16% of LGBTQ+ youth report running away because of fears of abuse, 14% report they were kicked out or abandoned, and 40% of those report being kicked out or abandoned because of their LGBTQ+ identity. Id. Despite making up 5-10% of the United States’ population, LGBTQ+ individuals make up 20-40% of the homeless population. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6695950/. LGBTQ+ youth, especially trans youth, are also overrepsented in the foster care system compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. https://www.childrensrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019.02.12-LGBTQ-Youth-in-Unstable-Housing-and-Foster-Care.pdf.

Trans youth face higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts compared with their cisgender peers. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260520915554. This is not because of the fact that they are trans. Countless false narratives are circulating the media and the public comment section for the 2022 Model Policies that being trans or part of the LGBTQ+ community itself leads to worse mental health outcomes. Instead, many of the contributing factors to this phenomenon are attributable to the societal treatment of trans individuals such as “microaggressions, internalized self-stigma, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and protective factors: school belonging, family support, and peer support . . . ” Id. In fact, major professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics are in consensus that being trans itself is not a mental illness, but conditions caused by the societal treatment of trans individuals–such as depression, anxiety, and gender dysphoria–are preventable. See, e.g., Brief of Am. Acad. of Pediatrics et al. at 8-9, Parents for Privacy v. Barr, 949 F.3d 1210 (9th Cir. 2020) (No. 18-35708), 2019 WL 1261905. VDOE can and should do more to address the societal discrimination of trans students instead of contributing to it.

The 2022 Model Policies also require sex segregation of facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms based on “biological sex.” While the 2022 Model Policies permit school districts to modify the policies “to the extent required by federal law,” the baseline is already in conflict with federal law. First of all, these requirements conflict with federal law. See Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586, 613-15, 616-19 (4th Cir. 2020) (the court reasoning that trans discrimination for bathroom access based on biological sex failed both the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution as well as Title IX); see also https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9nprm-factsheet.pdf. Second of all, lack of trans students’ access to facilities corresponding with their gender identity can result in urinary tract infections, alienation, humiliation, suicidal ideation, and hospitalization. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586, 600 (4th Cir. 2020).

Sadly, the damage from VDOE has already been done. Anti-trans legislation and policies exacerbate trans peoples’ feeling of hopelessness and contribute to lower levels of feeling like they belong. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/sgd-sgd0000481.pdf. VDOE is actively disparately impacting trans students and adults simply by the introduction of these transphobic policies. On the other hand, studies have shown that stronger LGBTQ+ protections in the law are associated with lower levels of bullying. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037687162100154X. More LGBTQ+-inclusive state policies and legislation are also tied to better results in trans students’ physical health. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/trgh.2018.0031.

Further, respecting trans students’ preferred names, as opposed to deadnaming, improves their mental health and lowers suicidal ideation and attempts. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X18300855. Trans students are nearly twice as likely to be threatened or harmed compared to other students. https://www.veanea.org/support-transgender-youth/. Outing to trans students’ parents and other school personnel will only exacerbate this.

I appreciate that VDOE has provided resources on school connectedness as some studies show that school-connectedness is associated with better mental health outcomes for trans students. https://www.veanea.org/support-transgender-youth/. However, removing explicit protections for bullying, harassment, and discrimination for LGBTQ+ students, LGBTQ+ specific annual training for school personnel, and the over sixty resources from the 2021 Model Policies undermines this principle.

Scientific evidence shows that VDOE has already harmed trans peoples’ mental health, trans students in particular. Scientific evidence also shows that the 2022 Model Policies will only worsen that trend. Many trans students are going to not just suffer worse mental health outcomes but die because of the 2022 Model Policies. I ask VDOE and the Virginia state government to think critically about if that is the right price to pay for “parental rights.”

This is wrong because trans students who experience parental rejection or abuse are EIGHT TIMES more likely to attempt suicide.

This affects everyone. No one should feel good about implementing any policy that is likely to increase the youth suicide rate. Shame on anyone who supports this - you do not care about kids. You care about control.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Strong Oppose

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I strongly oppose the proposed 2022 model policies.  This is simple state mandated bullying.  All children deserve to be protected and allowed to grow and thrive in the identity that best suits them.


Strongly opposed

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I strongly opposed Gov Youngkin's attempts to micro-manage what goes on in classrooms.


STRONGLY SUPPORT - thank you Gov. Youngkin!

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<p>I strongly support Gov . Youngkin and this action.  Little girls should not be afraid to go to the restroom, they should be able to participate in competitive sports with those with the same physical attributes. And parents should not be excluded in this information or in these decisions.  Schools should educate and that is it!  Leave cultural and everything else to the parents.  </p>


Mandate 2022 rule

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Children are born to be the sex God made them. Please stop trying to change that. Parents have a right to know when teachers push their leftist nonsense!


Strongly OPPOSE - protect all children

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The 2021 Model Policies required school records to display a student’s legal name and sex assigned at birth. The school may have been required to report that information in some situations, but the policies included a recommendation to adopt practices that “avoid inadvertent disclosure of such information.” The 2022 Model Policies removed the recommendation to adopt practices that avoid inadvertent disclosure of name and gender identity when reporting. The 2022 Model Policies also changed the language referring to “sex assigned at birth” to “biological sex”

Under the 2021 Model Policies, schools were required to use the preferred name and pronouns of a student on the school records that the student or parent requested. Under the 2022 Model Policies that requirement has been removed. This will negatively impact the academic and social performance of trans students, because studies show that students experience better mental health outcomes when school officials respect their gender and use their chosen names. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X18300855.

Under the 2022 Model Policies, schools are no longer required to change the name and gender identity of a student upon verification. The only way to change a student's name and/or gender marker is by a student or parent submitting a legal document reflecting such a change.

This is wrong because many students, including myself, have abusive or negligent parents and turbulent home lives. Requiring that a parent approve a change just so students can use their preferred pronouns is going to subject hundreds or thousands of students to potential abuse.

As someone who was raised in a household with homophobic and abusive parents, if I had had to ask them for approval before going by my preferred name or pronouns in school, I would have been subject to severe beatings. If this administration truly cares about kids, they should protect ALL children, including trans or queer children. No one should be scared to go home or scared to exist in their household because they have abusive parents. "Outing" kids to their parents by requiring them to get parental approval to go by their preferred pronouns or gender identity will likely put many of these students in harms way at home.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


Strongly Support

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<p>I am in vehement support of Governor Youngkin and this policy.  It's time we return common sense to the education system.  Schools ought be focused on teaching the basics - reading, writing, arithmetic, history, etc.  The faculty/staff need to leave personal family matters with the family.  </p>


I strongly oppose!!!!

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<p>First women can’t control and make decisions about their own bodies and now children can’t be who God intended them to be! White men can’t make all the decisions for everyone! </p>


STRONGLY OPPOSE 2022 MODEL POLICIES

Grace Allaman, University of Virginia School of Law

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I strongly oppose the 2022 Model Policies and request that the 2021 Model Policies be reinstated. I am a student at the University of Virginia School of Law and want to see my state advance policies that help and do not harm its students. The new model policies strip important protections from trans students in Virginia. These policies do not make our schools better. They make them unsafe and dangerous for LGBTQ students. This should never be the result of a public policy, especially from an administration that says it wants to protect Virginia students and improve our schools. The 2022 Model Policies do the exact opposite due to their infringements on student privacy, endorsement of discrimination, and tangible negative impact on students.

First, these policies pose serious dangers to student privacy. A right to privacy in our everyday lives is something all Virginians should value. Young people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The new model policies put trans students in danger by allowing disclosure of their personal information without their consent. As the 2021 Model Policies acknowledged, disclosing a transgender student's gender identity to an unsupportive family “can pose imminent safety risks, such as losing family support or housing.” A recent study by the Trevor Project reported that 38% of transgender girls, 39% of transgender boys, and 35% of nonbinary youth surveyed had experienced homelessness and housing instability at some point in their lives. ( Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth, The Trevor Project, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/.) No other group of students has to face this terrible risk at the hands of their school, a place where they are supposed to feel safe and supported. The United States Supreme Court has found that “a State's interest in safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of a minor is compelling,” and as a result has “sustained legislation aimed at protecting the physical and emotional well-being of youth even when the laws have operated in the sensitive area of constitutionally protected rights.” New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747, 756 (1982). Living in this kind of fear impacts a student’s academic performance and achievement as well as their social life and ability to achieve their dreams. We as a state should be helping students thrive, not limiting their success.

Second, the 2022 Model Policies explicitly endorse discrimination. The 2021 Model Policies prohibited “any and all discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on an individual’s actual or perceived . . . sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.” The 2022 Model Policies make disappointing and harmful changes to bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies. It removes the explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Instead, the only gender identity term it protects explicitly is “sex” which is defined by the 2022 Model Policies as “biological sex.” The removal of sexual orientation and gender identity as explicit categories sends a clear message: VDOE does not care about LGBTQ+ youth being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against. This is evident in the 2022 policy’s prohibition on access to bathroom facilities, activities, and sports. The 2022 Model Policies blatantly violate federal law which requires students to have access to facilities according to their gender identity. See, e.g., Grimm v. Gloucester Cty. Sch. Bd., 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020). The 2022 policies require students to use locker rooms, bathrooms, overnight travel accommodations, and other intimate spaces based upon their “biological sex,” not their gender identity. Practically, this violation means trans students will be subject to humiliation, harassment, and even violence by using a facility that does not align with their gender identity. Not to mention, this will force certain trans students to out themselves by using a school facility they have likely not used in years.  The 2022 Model Policies require districts to break the law and force students to use incorrect bathrooms. These policies would also bar students from participating in events in accordance with their gender identity. The 2021 Model Policies required that “[s]chools shall eliminate the practice of segregating students by gender to the extent possible.” The 2021 policies also required that when event participation was sex-segregated, school districts had to “allow students to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity.” The 2022 Model Policies remove the provision requiring schools to eliminate sex-segregation as much as possible. Now, these policies require that sex-segregation be based on biological sex as opposed to gender identity. This is confusing and impractical for student trying to participate in gender-segregated activities such as sports. Such a policy discourages trans students from participating if they are barred from joining the correct team and defeats the purpose of gender-segregated sports for everyone. Trans students do not pose a danger or a competitive threat to other students. They deserve equal access to sports that help them build comradery and team-based skills. This is often the most important part of school for many students. Discouraging their activity is discrimination and contradicts the spirit of Title IX and gender equality.

Third, these 2022 Model Policies will tangibly and negatively impact trans students. The research is clear. The 2022 Model Policies remove sexual orientation and gender identity as explicitly protected classes for bullying, harassment, and discrimination. At the same time, it eliminates specific school personnel professional development for the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ students. The 2022 Model Policies dangerously require misgendering and deadnaming trans students when the student’s preferred name and pronouns are not accurately reflected on student records. Some studies have shown that use of a trans student’s preferred name not only assists with social transition, but also reduces mental health risks such as depression, and suicidal ideation and attempts. https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30085-5/fulltext. Trans students are also placed in danger of being outed. The 2021 Model Policies allowed disclosure, with a legitimate educational interest, only to other school personnel. The 2022 Model Policies permit disclosure to other school personnel and the student’s parents. Many times, students feel safer coming out to school staff instead of their own parents. I believe the choice should rest with the trans student on who they would like to come out to. As stated previously, outing can be dangerous. “28% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability.” https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/. 16% of LGBTQ+ youth report running away because of fears of abuse, 14% report they were kicked out or abandoned, and 40% of those report being kicked out or abandoned because of their LGBTQ+ identity. Id. Despite making up 5-10% of the United States’ population, LGBTQ+ individuals make up 20-40% of the homeless population. These statistics are staggering and the state of Virginia has a responsibility to help fix this problem, not contribute to it. If the Youngkin administration really cares about students, prove it by protecting our most vulnerable. Trans students need our support, not vilification and exclusion. These polices have real consequences on students’ lives that we simply cannot allow as a community and a state with the responsibility of helping all of our citizens thrive.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies. Thank you.


Strongly OPPOSE

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As much as we might want to believe that every home is loving, and every parent would never harm their child, that is not reality. Kids who are transgender or LGBTQ sometimes need a safe place to be their true selves, because their parents would not accept them. Some kids even get thrown out of the house (and worse) for being who they are. Trans kids are at higher risk for suicide, and having schools as a safe haven is critical to their mental health and well-being.

STOP these policies from being implemented.


Youngkins agenda

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I totaly agree with the Governor's aim to rid this perverse aberration from our children in our schools..He focuses on the children and their parents, not just the schools.He hews to the line of time-tested moral principles which have always been understood to be forthright.This is why they have never been seriously challenged because common sense and decency , apart from man- made law, have been instinctual.Until now, for some godforsaken reason.Literally Godforsaken.

Also the language used by our GOP leaders and parents needs be ratcheted up at both the state and nation- wide levels to call out this demonic perverse influence, and crush, banish, exile and utterly destroy any manifestation of it's recurrence in this entire country again.The only way this can be done is by law enactment and severe criminal punishment for violations.

The country has become too soft in this regard.Law and order is NOW of prime importance.Sorry to write so harsh, but we are not talking about politics now, but the very survival of our country and way of life.


Support

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I support the Youngkin proposal.  It is the parents' responsibility to guide their children in all family matters, not the teachers or guidance counselors.


Strongly Oppose the 2022 Model Policies

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The 2021 Model Policies prohibited “any and all discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on an individual’s actual or perceived . . . sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.” The 2021 Model Policies also required that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention” and that “[c]omplaints alleging discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on a student’s actual or perceived gender identity shall be handled in the same manner as other discrimination or harassment complaints.” Finally, the 2021 Model Policies required the establishment of a school contact for both students and parents should the complaint be “not resolved at the school level.”

The 2022 Model Policies make disappointing and harmful changes to bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies. First, it removes the explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Instead, the only gender identity term it protects explicitly is “sex” which is defined by the 2022 Model Policies as “biological sex.” While the bullying, harassment, and discrimination prohibitions also protect “any other characteristic protected by law,” the removal of sexual orientation and gender identity as explicit categories sends a clear message: VDOE does not care about LGBTQ+ youth being bullied, harassed, or discriminated against.

Second, the 2022 Model Policies require that “[s]chool personnel shall be trained annually on health and mental wellness support to, and safety of, all students.” This is a drastic change from the 2021 Model Policies which required “[a]ll school mental health professionals shall be trained annually on topics relating to LGBTQ+ students, including safety and support for LGBTQ+ students.” The 2022 Model Policies therefore explicitly erase required training for staff on LGBTQ+ health and mental well-being.

Thankfully, the 2022 Model Policies keep the language of the 2021 Model Policies that “[a]ny incident or complaint of discrimination, harassment, or bullying shall be given prompt attention, including investigating the incident and taking appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action, by the school administrator.” It also keeps the language that “[t]he [School Division’s Designated Contact] shall be available to hear concerns from students and parents when complaints are not resolved at the school level.” It also adds additional language that “[b]ullying of any student by another student, for any reason, cannot be tolerated in our schools. Intervening immediately to stop bullying on the spot can help ensure a safer school environment for all students.”

Stopping bullying for any student is an important goal for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. My concern is that gender identity and sexual orientation are no longer explicitly protected classes under the 2022 Model Policies and that school personnel are no longer required to obtain LGBTQ+ specific health and mental wellness professional development. In fact, it feels like VDOE is bullying the very trans kids they are claiming to protect by removing resources and policies aimed at supporting and protecting them.

This is wrong because students should be able to attend school without being worried that their educational institution will not protect them if they are targeted or bullied due to their gender identity or sexual orientation.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


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The 2022 proposed Model Policies present contradictory standards regarding the identification of students. While III(D)(1) states that “Every effort should be made to ensure that a transgender student wishing to change his or her means of address is treated with respect, compassion, and dignity in the classroom and school environment,” the guidelines which follow require school staff to misgender (use the wrong pronouns for) and deadname (use the wrong name for) transgender students unless their parents specifically request otherwise in writing. For a student with an unsupportive family, that requirement presents an impossible hurdle.

Forcing staff to use names and pronouns that do not match a student’s presentation and identity will cause real harm. Respecting trans students’ preferred names improves their mental health and lowers suicidal ideation and attempts. (Stephen T. Russell et al., Chosen Name Use Is Linked to Reduced Depressive Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicidal Behavior Among Transgender Youth, Journal of Adolescent Health https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X18300855). Additionally, if the proposed guidelines are applied consistently, they could expose any child who goes by a name other than their legal name of record to embarrassment and bullying.

This is wrong because we all deserve the ability to be known by the name and pronouns that each of us identify with. The 2022 policy would effectively deny to LGBTQ+ children the basic forms of respect and human dignity already afforded to heteronormative children and staff at school.

For these reasons, I ask you to repeal the 2022 Model Policies and reinstate the 2021 Model Policies.


STRONGLY support Gov. Younkin's policy

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Parents involvement is essential in the life of children and the safety of all students matters.  Parents should be making decisions for their  children, which is a parents lawful right- not the GOVERNMENT.  That is why Gov. Younkin was VOTED in and is giving the parents back the lawful right of raising their children.   THANK YOU Gov. Younkin and may God bless you abundantly for doing this!!!!


STRONGLY OPPOSE

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I strongly oppose the Youngkin Administrations new education policies regarding transgender children in schools. I graduated from a Virginia high school in 2017 and realized I was transgender when I was 17 years old. When I came out to my parents, they reacted very poorly. Several fights broke out at home, which resulted in my family going to therapy together to work through our issues. During this period of time, school was the only safe place I had to be myself. Being able to socially transition at school and having the support of teachers, counselors, and staff kept me from experiencing seriously detrimental mental health consequences. In particular, my guidance counselor and theatre teacher fully embraced my gender identity and helped me gain confidence in myself. They really helped to shape a positive future for me, as educators should.

I am now 23 years old and have identified as transgender for six years. I do not regret transitioning in high school AT ALL. It truly was the best thing for my well being and mental health. It's who I am. It is not a choice.

I think the reality of the situation is that many families do not respond well when they first hear their child is transgender. During this difficult transition period, parents REALLY struggle to make the best decisions for their child. I truly believe that during this time, the CHILD is actually in the best position to make decisions for themselves. This is about making sure a child can have the highest possible quality of life. At this age, children are old enough to know what makes them feel happy, healthy, and at home in their own skin. Choosing to socially transition is not about the parents. The role of the school during this time is to support the child.

As I mentioned before, school was a safe place for me to go during the early stages of my transition when my family environment was unsafe. Youngkin's policies will remove that safe place for transgender children and leave them incredibly vulnerable to mental health consequences. Studies show that transgender are already more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and suicide. This is due to two main reasons: 1) Transgender children often experience a lot of dysphoria prior to transition. Being unable to live your life the way you know is best for you inherently causes mental health issues. 2) Transgender children often lack support in their transition. Studies show that when transgender children are able to socially transition in a supportive environment, they experience significantly less mental health consequences.

The bottom line is this: Transgender children are in the best possible position to make healthy decisions for their well being because they know themselves best. That is their right as a human being. The role of schools is to support the child and create a safe learning environment, NOT to put them in harm's way by outing them to their family regardless of their safety at home.

I strongly oppose the 2022 Model policies. The Virginia state government must reject these harmful and transphobic policies. Please protect the rights of transgender children.


I support Model Policies 2023

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<p>I fully support Governor Youngkin and this policy. Parents should always be informed and schools should work with parents in all matters. Ideally, schools would concentrate on teaching the basics;  reading, writing and arithmetic and let parents handle more personal matters in accordance with their values. </p>