Virginia is definitely not for lovers with these revised, embarrassing policies!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

Don’t tell us how much you love all babies, then tell us how much you hate gay people as these policies imply.

Stop trying to use coercion to steer us back to your hypocritical sense of “Christianity.”

You ran on lies and deception. Pray for your soul. You are the worst governor ever!


Oppose

I STRONGLY OPPOSE Governor Youngkin’s proposed assault on the constitutionally protected civil rights of Virginia's transgender and nonbinary students.  This proposed policy intentionally discriminates against transgender and non-binary students and clashes with our public schools’ mission of nurturing community and  supporting all students and staff.Discrimination against transgender individuals is illegal discrimination on the basis of sex.   The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that civil rights law barring sex discrimination covers transgender people (Bostock v. Clayton County).  The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Virginia school board’s transgender bathroom ban is unconstitutional.The proposed revisions would make schools less safe for transgender and nonbinary students, undermine our students as they socially transition at school, and directly threaten the physical and mental health of many of our most vulnerable students:53% of transgender and nonbinary youth.seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half (53%) of transgender and nonbinary youth.Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide. LGBTQ youth who had access to an LGBTQ-affirming school reported lower rates of attempting suicide.Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all/most people in their lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected.Instead of pursuing an unconstitutional and ill-advised rollback of students' rights, Virginia should maintain and expand current protections provided to our transgender and nonbinary students and ensure that all school districts comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws in order to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"I STRONGLY OPPOSE Governor Youngkin’s proposed assault on the constitutionally protected civil rights of Virginia's transgender and nonbinary students.  This proposed policy intentionally discriminates against transgender and non-binary students and clashes with our public schools’ mission of nurturing community and  supporting all students and staff.\n\nDiscrimination against transgender individuals is illegal discrimination on the basis of sex.   \n\nThe U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that civil rights law barring sex discrimination covers transgender people (Bostock v. Clayton County).  \nThe Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Virginia school board’s transgender bathroom ban is unconstitutional.\n\nThe proposed revisions would make schools less safe for transgender and nonbinary students, undermine our students as they socially transition at school, and directly threaten the physical and mental health of many of our most vulnerable students:\n\n53% of transgender and nonbinary youth.seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half (53%) of transgender and nonbinary youth.\n\nNearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide. LGBTQ youth who had access to an LGBTQ-affirming school reported lower rates of attempting suicide.\n\nTransgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all/most people in their lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected.\n\nInstead of pursuing an unconstitutional and ill-advised rollback of students' rights, Virginia should maintain and expand current protections provided to our transgender and nonbinary students and ensure that all school districts comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws in order to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students."}">I STRONGLY OPPOSE Governor Youngkin’s proposed assault on the constitutionally protected civil rights of Virginia's transgender and nonbinary students.  This proposed policy intentionally discriminates against transgender and non-binary students and clashes with our public schools’ mission of nurturing community and  supporting all students and staff.

Discrimination against transgender individuals is illegal discrimination on the basis of sex.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that civil rights law barring sex discrimination covers transgender people (Bostock v. Clayton County).
The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Virginia school board’s transgender bathroom ban is unconstitutional.

The proposed revisions would make schools less safe for transgender and nonbinary students, undermine our students as they socially transition at school, and directly threaten the physical and mental health of many of our most vulnerable students:

53% of transgender and nonbinary youth.seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half (53%) of transgender and nonbinary youth.

Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide. LGBTQ youth who had access to an LGBTQ-affirming school reported lower rates of attempting suicide.

Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all/most people in their lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected.

Instead of pursuing an unconstitutional and ill-advised rollback of students' rights, Virginia should maintain and expand current protections provided to our transgender and nonbinary students and ensure that all school districts comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws in order to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students.


I oppose this policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

Children have enough challenges as it is. Virginia should invest in policies that protect and support all children, not remove supports for some of our most vulnerable children.


QUIT FORCING CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM ON ALL OF US!!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

Religion is like a pair of shoes.....Find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes.”

? George Carlin


Oppose


Transgender Yourh

<!DOCTYPE html>

Your new policy of assigning bathrooms based on genders at birth is stupid.  Also,  parents should not be contacted regarding the use of alternative names or pronouns.  This practice may endanger students whose parents are anti transgender or anti homosexual behavior / practices. This should be apparent to someone in your position.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I support Virginia’s trans and non-binary students! Please do not move forward with this policy that will harm our state’s LGBTQIA+ student population. All students deserve the right to show up as their authentic selves in safety. The Trevor Project says that “LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.” Please, drop this legislation and make Virginia a safer place for trans and non-binary students."}'>I support Virginia’s trans and non-binary students! Please do not move forward with this policy that will harm our state’s LGBTQIA+ student population. All students deserve the right to show up as their authentic selves in safety. The Trevor Project says that “LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.” Please, drop this legislation and make Virginia a safer place for trans and non-binary students.


Transphobic policies that bring shame to Virginia!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

Youngkin said during a recent interview: “We must have parents at the front of the line — not at the exclusion of a trusted teacher or counselor — but parents must be the first stop for these decisions.”

How shortsighted of you! Not all of us are so dumb to fall for this.

While this might work if the parents are loving and supportive,  but what if they aren’t? Then what? You may end up with blood on your hands.

What basis do you have to overrule all of the major psychological associations that have designed standards of care for trans minors over the last several decades?


Strongly Oppose VDOE Revised Model Policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a lifelong Virginian, a graduate of K-12 Virginia public schools, and the daughter of educators, I am horrified and embarrassed to know my state government is crafting and supporting such ugly, bigoted policies. I strongly oppose the draft policy and ask the VDOE to reject it.

These draft model policies are rooted in transphobia and will harm trans and nonbinary young people. It is unconscionable that an agency tasked with ensuring all students have an opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe environment is recommending such harmful and dangerous policies. These policies would require teachers and school staff to forcibly out students to their parents against their will. This is not only extremely traumatic, but could put young people with unsupportive parents at extreme risk of emotional, and even physical harm.

In addition, at a time when teachers are asked to do more with less, these policies will prohibit a teacher's ability to support their trans and nonbinary students. For some young people, teachers offer the comfort, safety, and community they don't have at home. We all owe tremendous gratitude to the teachers, teaching aides, custodians, cafeteria personnel, and other educators who spend their careers educating and caring for future generations.

We should be working to build a society and community where everyone can live, learn, and love as their authentic selves. Young people deserve better, educators deserve better, and Virginia deserves better.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose this proposed model policy. ??


I will kill myself if this passes

<!DOCTYPE html>

I will commit suicide if this legislation ruins my life. Thanks governor <3


HATEFUL POLICIES! DISGRACEFUL GOVERNOR!

<!DOCTYPE html>

Republicans continue to strip away basic freedoms, and this is just another example. Think beyond white, “Christian” men, and find some compassion for all. These are bullying and hateful policies that are a disgrace to a large amount of Virginians. Cannot wait until you are out of office, and there is a return to basic human decency!

I was taught that we were all made in the image and likeness of God. What kind of a “Christian” are you?


I support TRANS kids

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>As the parent of a white, cis, straight 8th grade boy who has friends of all ethnicities and genders, I have heard about the struggles many of those friends have in schools and at home because they don’t fit into neat little binary boxes. Our family begs you to enact policies that help these children feel welcome and accepted for who they are at school, regardless of any action taken or not taken by their parents. I fear that any other course of action will not only promote bullying, exclusion and demonization but will also likely raise the rates of teen suicide. </p>


I oppose these policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a student, I oppose these policies because they hurt my peers. I want all my peers to be able to attend safe and affirming schools, but these policies target Queer students.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I strongly oppose this policy as it will be devastating for any trans or gender diverse youth in the state of VA. </p>


STRONGLY OPPOSE the governor’s hate campaign against LGBTQ kids!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

This is not about bathroom rights. It’s about human rights!

These policies take away the freedoms of transgendered children, while stoking the flames of transphobia. We are not all Christian nationalists. Quit forcing your shortsighted,  bigoted policies on all of us. You are a disgrace- the worst governor ever. The only freedoms you care about are those of straight, white, “Christian” men!


I oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>These proposed model policies are contrary to state law and will be extremely harmful to transgender and nonbinary kids. RESCIND these model policies. As a parent of two current VA public school students, I know I have a right to be involved in my kids' education - this already exists in the current policies. At the same time the current policies are inclusive and respectful of transgender and nonbinary kids - as they should be. The proposed model policies are an attempt to hijak the concept of parental involvement as a political tool for headlines and will actually hurt kids. </p>


Protect all citizens

<!DOCTYPE html>

Please make it your aim to protect from any bullying, discrimination and harassment against any person for any reason especially trans and nonbinary youth. Often they are already struggling with their identity and harassment of any kind has an incredibly negative influence on them.

We, as Christians should try and only help them and care for them as we do for ourselves.


Only an absolute pervert would advocate for boys to use little girls locker rooms and showers.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>Thankfully there is now an adult in the room to reign in these perverted liberals. It’s disgusting the way they treat our children. </p>


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I support the rights of all (trans and cis gendered) people to learn and be treated with respect in our schools.


Strongly oppose anti-trans proposal. This is incredibly harmful FALSE rhetoric.

<!DOCTYPE html>

This guidance goes against actual proven best practices and ACTIVELY harms children.


I oppose the draft

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a person who has close relationships with non-binary, trans, and LGBTQ humans, I oppose this draft. Protect the kids I love who are trans and non-binary.


PARENTS, NOT POLITICIANS, MUST GUIDE EDUCATION

<!DOCTYPE html>

While we acknowledge the expertise of teachers in how to teach, we fully support this new policy in recognizing the parental role in what their children are taught.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>People do not have the right to emotional abuse their children. For trans children, teachers are sometimes the only safe adult contact they have in their life, and being a transgender child makes a child incredibly vulnerable, and all children deserve to be protected from harm, including their parents. </p>


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"This policy is harmful to students in every conceivable way. Trans and nonbinary teens whose identities are not affirmed are at a much higher risk of suicide. Calling a student by their chosen name and/or pronouns is practically no effort for the teacher and does no harm to other students. If I were still a classroom teacher and these dangerous policies were enacted, I would be putting my job at risk to keep the trust of my students and keep them safe. No student should have to be outed to their potentially unsupportive family before they are ready. Enacting these policies makes a statement that trans and nonbinary students don’t matter and that should never be the case. Their identities are just as valid as any cisgender student and they should have the same rights in the school system."}'>This policy is harmful to students in every conceivable way. Trans and nonbinary teens whose identities are not affirmed are at a much higher risk of suicide. Calling a student by their chosen name and/or pronouns is practically no effort for the teacher and does no harm to other students. If I were still a classroom teacher and these dangerous policies were enacted, I would be putting my job at risk to keep the trust of my students and keep them safe. No student should have to be outed to their potentially unsupportive family before they are ready. Enacting these policies makes a statement that trans and nonbinary students don’t matter and that should never be the case. Their identities are just as valid as any cisgender student and they should have the same rights in the school system.


Oppose


Oppose change to model policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

The 2021 model policy is one that provides a safe haven for children in school.  It recognizes that there are instances when a child might want to confide in a teacher and seek guidance from them before approaching parents, especially if they have reason to fear their reaction to being LGBT.  It recognizes the person hood of children separate from their parents.  We don't own our children, they are their own unique person.  The 2021 policy helps a marginalized group who often experiences negative things in school and suffers from suicidal ideation when not given the ability to express their identities.  We should not be abandoning them for the sake of misguided culture wars.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I oppose the change and support LGBTQ youth in our schools. As a former school psychologist, I am distinctly aware of the importance of children feeling comfortable and accepted at school. As a place where students are expected to make learning gains, their mental health is of utmost importance, in a space they spend the bulk of their time. The proposed change can open the doors of parents' rejections and criticisms of their non-cis children to feel the same pain and often life-ending associated mental illness at school, where they spend the majority of their time. There is no evidence of a transgender student, identifying as their true self, impacting their peers negatively, but there is a plethora of research showing the severe health and wellness consequences on trans students who are not permitted to be themselves. </p>


Completely SUPPORT!!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

We agreed to the new policies.


Keep religion and personal bias out of kids lives

<!DOCTYPE html>

I write to strongly oppose the proposed model policy that targets trans and non-binary students. No amount of re-write can insulate the policy from the anti-trans bias that taints the whole thing. Leave trans kids alone and focus on creating safe, inclusive spaces for all kids.


Oppose the new policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I strongly oppose the new proposed policy. </p>


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am an ESOL teacher, and I support all youth. Including trans and nonbinary youth. I OPPOSE this policy. Trans-affirming policies are important because all youth have the right to an education that supports and affirms them. I want the VDOE to OPPOSE this draft policy.


I oppose this policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose this policy. It is bad for students and it makes school a less safe place for students and teachers.


Oppose the new policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly oppose the new model policy.  This policy is designed to interfere with family dynamics, further harass, intimidate and undermine teachers and staff, and to place some of our most vulnerable children at greater risk. It is anti-family, anti-children, and anti-public school.

The new model policy has the potential to damage long-developed relationships between families and schools during times when families and students need support. Trans students need support from schools and families, not harassment, bullying, and gaslighting. Teachers need support from the school systems and state, not attempts to intimidate and undermine them.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a pastor I had the privilege of walking with and working with families whose children were in transition. They need and deserve support. They need safety in school and in the community. They need to be accepted and loved as they make this journey.


Strongly Support Involvement of Parents in Education

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly support the 2022 Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools because the document ensures parents have a significant role in the education and care of their children.  Rather than removing parents from the picture, this guidance document places them where they need to be:  in their role as primary educators and caregivers for their children.  I appreciate that the document assumes that everyone involved (educators and parents) want the best for the child, rather than pitting school staff against parents.  This creates a bigger safety net for children, which should be the goal.

The document seems to treat transgender youth with care and consideration and in no way endorses bullying or discrimination.  Rather, the document carefully lays out the legal and regulatory prohibitions on such bullying while also upholding the fundamental rights of parents and not trampling on other individual rights.

I appreciate the careful balance struck by this guidance document and strongly support its adoption.


I oppose these restrictions/policies that harm trans kids

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"These new restrictions are harmful and demeaning to trans kids who have a right to be treated with respect and support the same as other students in our schools.  I dearly love and treasure my grandchild who has very bravely come out to their family and friends.  I have no doubts than these policies will cause irreparable harm to many and are unnecessary and cruel.  Please don’t play politics with these precious lives. Choose love, not intolerance or fear."}'>These new restrictions are harmful and demeaning to trans kids who have a right to be treated with respect and support the same as other students in our schools. I dearly love and treasure my grandchild who has very bravely come out to their family and friends. I have no doubts than these policies will cause irreparable harm to many and are unnecessary and cruel. Please don’t play politics with these precious lives. Choose love, not intolerance or fear.


Governor please investigate ALL school counselors opposing parental involvement!

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>Counselors that oppose parental involvement while the schools groom our children sexually are predators. They must be investigated and terminated. Our children deserve better. </p>


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

This is unacceptable, and so harmful to our LGBTQ children. My gay son has had friends kicked out of their homes, disowned, or just ignored when they came out to their parents. No one deserves to be treated with hate, just for who they are. Do not approve this child abuse.


Support Trans, LGBTQIA rights

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"All people have a right to privacy, a right to feel safe. \nOuting students to parents, student or staff does not do that.  Medical info is protected.  \n\nI hope my 4 yr old can grow up in a world where everyone can be who they want, like dressing or do any hobbies they want, love anyone they want.  People are people are people. \n\nI do not support any bills, bans etc that effect any trans or LGBTQIA person.  \n\nI am not afraid the share bathrooms with trans or gay people. I am not afraid for my child to get to know trans or gay people.  I actually want him toz then he will know you can be your authentic self and be loved.  \n\n\n"}'>All people have a right to privacy, a right to feel safe.
Outing students to parents, student or staff does not do that. Medical info is protected.

I hope my 4 yr old can grow up in a world where everyone can be who they want, like dressing or do any hobbies they want, love anyone they want. People are people are people.

I do not support any bills, bans etc that effect any trans or LGBTQIA person.

I am not afraid the share bathrooms with trans or gay people. I am not afraid for my child to get to know trans or gay people. I actually want him toz then he will know you can be your authentic self and be loved.


New Model Policies protect ALL children!!!

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly support this new Model Policies.


Treat Trans kids with compassion and respect

<!DOCTYPE html>

The GOP and Governor Youngkin are again on the wrong side of civil rights movement and once again the cruelty of their policy is the point. Their so-called parental movement is barely indistinguishable from the segregationist parents of the 50s and the arguments are identical. I oppose the efforts of the Governor to take us backwards under the guise of parental rights.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

This appalling guidance will result in harm to young people and is proven to increase their suicide rate. Love and acceptance is what we should all be giving our beloved children.


please protect trans children

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose this guidance. Trans children are regularly bullied and they often suffer from suicidal ideation. Please do not make their lives more fraught. this guidance document is homophobic and draconian. It must be withdrawn


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"This policy is hateful, disgusting and morally so wrong. Teachers are trained to accept and affirm and encourage EVERY student in their class. We will not stand for this nonsense and will continue to let our trans and lgbtq students know they are valued and seen and loved and encouraged to speak about their identities. We will not go backward. I will not take my ally posters and stickers down. Shame on you Youngkin how do you sleep at night and live with that much hate."}'>This policy is hateful, disgusting and morally so wrong. Teachers are trained to accept and affirm and encourage EVERY student in their class. We will not stand for this nonsense and will continue to let our trans and lgbtq students know they are valued and seen and loved and encouraged to speak about their identities. We will not go backward. I will not take my ally posters and stickers down. Shame on you Youngkin how do you sleep at night and live with that much hate.


VDOE should reject the draft policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

I OPPOSE the draft policy and want the VDOE to reject the draft policy. All kids deserve a safe and inclusive learning environment. All includes transgender and nonbinary kids.


Judge finds transgender teen guilty of Loudoun County bathroom sexual assaults

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>The entire Loudoun county school board is at fault for the sexual assault. </p>


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose the guidance. I support the protection of our LGBTQ students.


I oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly oppose this guidance which harms and endangers trans and non-binary youth. Every child deserves to be supported, uplifted, and affirmed in their classroom. When we do not support our children in this manner, we are putting them at risk for health and safety concerns. More than half of all trans and nonbinary youth who do not receive support from adults in their life will consider suicide. However, youth who receive gender affirmation from peers and teachers contemplate at less than half that rate. These proposed policies are rooted in transphobia and unfounded fearmongering and seek to force trans youth into schools that threaten their safety, mental health, and lives. Students who do not feel safe or supported at school do not perform at their full academic potential, reducing their grade point average, ability to get into college, and ability to contribute to society as a whole.  Additionally, as many schools are evaluated based on the performance and success of their students; any policy such as this violates the individual’s right to a full and fair education and directly affects the school’s evaluation. As adults, it is our job to ensure that children maintain their right to a safe education, and this means supporting and affirming their identity in school.

Implementing this type of potentially dangerous policy sets a poor example for our children. It is essential that we use this opportunity to teach them that including everyone creates a healthy and safe environment for learning. It is vital that they know that they are supported no matter what their gender identity is. We must teach them how to be brave in a changing world so they feel empowered with empathy and a desire to include people of diverse backgrounds. It is foolish to force some adults’ unfounded fears onto children who should feel nothing but protection and affirmation from them.

I strongly oppose the proposed policy for all of the above reasons and because it creates a slippery slope for all of our most vulnerable students. Please consider the most impacted people in this issue: trans and nonbinary youth. They will be the ones who suffer the long-term impacts of policies that are forced upon them. But also consider the wider consequences of this targeted policy that ripples into society as a whole.  Even though trans and nonbinary youth are most impacted, as a society we also lose any of the contributions they would have made, had they been supported as youth and had they been in safe schooling environments. Ultimately this is a policy that harms everyone, and we should not support this.


Governor Youngkin for President!

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>Thank you for restoring sanity to the schools. Thank you for rescuing our children from the liberal woke mob. </p>


Faithful Christian Witness Opposes

Rev. Nickie Moreno Howard, United Methodist Clergy

<!DOCTYPE html>

Over and over again we faithful Christians come together to worship, pray, and shower love on God's people. How frequently our faith narrows and forgets who all God's people are. Jesus' words ring so clear in his reminder for us to show love. Jesus is also clear in Matthew 25 that we are to show love to those who are outcast. Our trans family members suffer so greatly just to be who they are. It is shameful that people proclaiming the Christian faith would seek to cause further harm to those who need God's love, who needed to be reminded of their worth, and the promise of Jesus in John 10 that he came to give life and life abundantly.

This policy causes great harm to students who need safe spaces, safe people, and safe schools. Today, when discussing schools in Hanover County with a clergy colleague I learned about calm rooms. These rooms can be booked by students when they need a safe space, a calm space, or a place to relax from all the pressures thrown at them. This room at Mechanicsville High School is already booked through the year. Our teenagers desperately need places where they can experience self-worth, peace, and understanding. This policy would erase the hard work of teachers, administrators, families, and supportive friends of trans youth to create these necessary safe places.

I continue in prayer for our trans youth and for our broader communities that instead of being places that narrow the span of God's love and humanities' diversity we continue to open wide our arms in love and acceptance.

Blessings!


Education article for parental right being debated

<!DOCTYPE html>

I wish to strongly support Governor Youngton for restoring parental rights for education, especially regarding gender issues.


Trans children are people. Trans is not evil.

<!DOCTYPE html>

Trans children deserve to feel protected and valued, as does every other child. Being transgender or merely being exposed to trans people is not a bad thing. All this policy would effectively do is force children in the closet and increase rates of suicide among young people, along with ensuring that these marginalized children cannot be themselves or trust the adults who are meant to protected them. Trans children who are not accepted are more likely to commit suicide. This is not the future we want for our children. If this policy is meant to protect them, it is not apparent.


Let Education be About Education, I support this Bill

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>It is a great disservice that the primary conversation pertaining to schools is not about the quality of education but whether a child and their teacher can make decisions without the consent of their parent. I strongly agree with this Bill because school should be about education and nothing else. Please keep gender and sex ideology to a parents discretion and not to the government. </p>


Protect our children and parental rights

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly support Gov Youngkin and the new policies.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

Our children and youth need our support not obstacles that will make less safe and secure.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"       To get straight to the point, to deny the LGBTQ+ community of using their pronouns openly and force teachers to \"out\" students is not only an invasion of privacy but a violation of of minority rights and the First Amendment, the freedom of speech. Students are able to request teachers to call them by their nick names, and are encouraged to do so, how is asking for their preferred name or pronouns any different? Why penalize hardworking students over something that does not interrupt education or effect you personally? . \n        Now more than ever has mental health finally been prioritized in our society. The amount of emotional, and often even physical stress that is endured when one decides to \"come out\" takes a tremendous toll. When one finally embodies the persona that individual perceives as their true inner self it is a wonder that should be recognized and respected. Just as one acknowledges the transition between an immature person into a mature, functioning adult we should see this as a new growth that is to be celebrated and cherished. Suppressing these young mind's right to express themselves could result in further stress and not only result in lower school performance rates, but also impede on each students rights.  "}"> To get straight to the point, to deny the LGBTQ+ community of using their pronouns openly and force teachers to "out" students is not only an invasion of privacy but a violation of of minority rights and the First Amendment, the freedom of speech. Students are able to request teachers to call them by their nick names, and are encouraged to do so, how is asking for their preferred name or pronouns any different? Why penalize hardworking students over something that does not interrupt education or effect you personally? .
Now more than ever has mental health finally been prioritized in our society. The amount of emotional, and often even physical stress that is endured when one decides to "come out" takes a tremendous toll. When one finally embodies the persona that individual perceives as their true inner self it is a wonder that should be recognized and respected. Just as one acknowledges the transition between an immature person into a mature, functioning adult we should see this as a new growth that is to be celebrated and cherished. Suppressing these young mind's right to express themselves could result in further stress and not only result in lower school performance rates, but also impede on each students rights.


Oppose

I oppose Gov. Youngkin’s proposal and I support Trans and Non-Binary students in VA. I am a retired educator with 35 plus years of teaching and the grandmother of a transgender grand daughter. As an educator working in a middle and high school environment I often had students share what was concerning them about many issues some of which were gender related. I never initiated these conversations but because my classroom was safe, inclusive, nonjudgmental, and built on strong relationships students felt comfortable sharing deep and personal thoughts. I only listened. I would suggest talking to a nurse, a counselor, or their parents or I just would listen. Because teachers care about all students they are often the first person a troubled child would confide in. Only if there were concerns of harm would I share the information with appropriate adults. ( self harm, abuse etc.). My job as an educator was to let the children know there were many supportive adults who could listen and help them navigate the path to adulthood. This proposal blocks teachers from being the support children need and eliminates a safe place for children to deal with the myriad of issues they face as they mature. It isn’t just gender issues but the many other problems they often encounter (bullying, physical issues such as weight, family issues, anxiety etc.)An inclusive and safe classroom includes using the child’s preferred name ( think nicknames, middle names, shortened names etc.). The path a child takes leading to a switch in gender is long and difficult. It involves testing, individual counseling, family counseling and Dr. appointments. Often there is a period of they and their pronouns. This should be respected. A child will often change their preferred name as they navigate the change. This often occurs as they transition to Middle School or High School. And they will switch pronouns and change the way they dress. Parents are seriously involved in these changes. Schools need to respect and support the children. Accommodations should be available as needed so the students are not ostracized. Middle and high schools really should have private bathrooms available to all children. You would be surprised at how many children in the upper grades would take advantage of them. My trans grand daughter has a very supportive school environment. She spent years in counseling with her family to get to this point. The school and her teachers have been amazing. The changes in this policy will destroy the inclusive environment she currently is thriving in. She is a very bright child with very good grades in high level courses. I fear this policy will destroy her emotionally. This policy will increase top teachers to leave the system. It will increase drop outs and student suicide. It is not the way to have an inclusive environment for all children. Schools should look at each issue and find ways to accommodate all children. Teachers aren’t grooming, teachers aren’t promoting, teachers are only accepting and supporting transgender youth as they support each and every child.Please let teachers support their students.Please don’t destroy my grand daughter!

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I oppose Gov. Youngkin’s proposal and I support Trans and Non-Binary students in VA. \n      I am a retired educator with 35 plus years of teaching and the grandmother of a transgender grand daughter.  As an educator working in a middle and high school environment I often had students share what was concerning them about many issues some of which were gender related.  I never initiated these conversations but because my classroom was safe, inclusive, nonjudgmental, and built on strong relationships students felt comfortable sharing deep and personal thoughts.  I only listened.  I would suggest talking to a nurse, a counselor, or their parents or I just would listen.  Because teachers care about all students they are often the first person a troubled child would confide in.  Only if there were concerns of harm would I share the information with appropriate adults.  ( self harm, abuse etc.).  My job as an educator was to let the children know there were many supportive adults who could listen and help them navigate the path to adulthood. This proposal blocks teachers from being the support children need and eliminates a safe place for children to deal with the myriad of issues they face as they mature.  It isn’t just gender issues but the many other problems they often encounter (bullying, physical issues such as weight, family issues, anxiety etc.)\n     An inclusive and safe classroom includes using the child’s preferred name ( think nicknames, middle names, shortened names etc.). The path a child takes leading to a switch in gender is long and difficult.  It involves testing, individual counseling, family counseling  and Dr. appointments.  Often there is a period of they and their pronouns.  This should be respected.  A child will often change their preferred name as they navigate the change.  This often occurs as they transition to Middle School or High School.  And they will switch pronouns and change the way they dress.  Parents are seriously involved in these changes.  Schools need to respect and support the children.  Accommodations should be available as needed so the students are not ostracized.  Middle and high schools really should have  private bathrooms available to all children.  You would be surprised at how many children in the upper grades would take advantage of them. My trans grand daughter has a very supportive school environment.  She spent years in counseling with her family to get to this point. The school and her teachers have been amazing.  The changes in this policy will destroy the inclusive environment she currently is thriving in.  She is a very bright child with very good grades in  high level courses.  I fear this policy will destroy her emotionally.  \n   This policy will increase top teachers to leave the system.  It will increase drop outs and student suicide.  It is not the way to have an inclusive environment for all children. Schools should look at each issue and find ways to accommodate all children.   Teachers aren’t grooming, teachers aren’t promoting, teachers are only accepting and supporting transgender youth as they support each and every child.\nPlease let teachers support their students.\nPlease don’t destroy my grand daughter!"}'>I oppose Gov. Youngkin’s proposal and I support Trans and Non-Binary students in VA.
I am a retired educator with 35 plus years of teaching and the grandmother of a transgender grand daughter. As an educator working in a middle and high school environment I often had students share what was concerning them about many issues some of which were gender related. I never initiated these conversations but because my classroom was safe, inclusive, nonjudgmental, and built on strong relationships students felt comfortable sharing deep and personal thoughts. I only listened. I would suggest talking to a nurse, a counselor, or their parents or I just would listen. Because teachers care about all students they are often the first person a troubled child would confide in. Only if there were concerns of harm would I share the information with appropriate adults. ( self harm, abuse etc.). My job as an educator was to let the children know there were many supportive adults who could listen and help them navigate the path to adulthood. This proposal blocks teachers from being the support children need and eliminates a safe place for children to deal with the myriad of issues they face as they mature. It isn’t just gender issues but the many other problems they often encounter (bullying, physical issues such as weight, family issues, anxiety etc.)
An inclusive and safe classroom includes using the child’s preferred name ( think nicknames, middle names, shortened names etc.). The path a child takes leading to a switch in gender is long and difficult. It involves testing, individual counseling, family counseling and Dr. appointments. Often there is a period of they and their pronouns. This should be respected. A child will often change their preferred name as they navigate the change. This often occurs as they transition to Middle School or High School. And they will switch pronouns and change the way they dress. Parents are seriously involved in these changes. Schools need to respect and support the children. Accommodations should be available as needed so the students are not ostracized. Middle and high schools really should have private bathrooms available to all children. You would be surprised at how many children in the upper grades would take advantage of them. My trans grand daughter has a very supportive school environment. She spent years in counseling with her family to get to this point. The school and her teachers have been amazing. The changes in this policy will destroy the inclusive environment she currently is thriving in. She is a very bright child with very good grades in high level courses. I fear this policy will destroy her emotionally.
This policy will increase top teachers to leave the system. It will increase drop outs and student suicide. It is not the way to have an inclusive environment for all children. Schools should look at each issue and find ways to accommodate all children. Teachers aren’t grooming, teachers aren’t promoting, teachers are only accepting and supporting transgender youth as they support each and every child.
Please let teachers support their students.
Please don’t destroy my grand daughter!


Support - It's not anti-trans, it's pro Parents caring for their kids

<!DOCTYPE html>

I agree with the changes proposed!


Trans gender

<!DOCTYPE html>

If you claim to believe in God, believe in His creation.


I strongly support Gov, Youngkin's proposal to correct the current ill-conceived education policies.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>Common sense needs to prevail.  This is the mandate the got Gov. Youngkin elected in the first place.  I support his proposals to correct overreaching and ill-conceived policies that are hurting our student and denying parental rights.  </p>


Totally support the new policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

Please support our parent's rights and protect our children from harm.


Trans kids rights

<!DOCTYPE html>

Stop treading on trans kids rights. Respect who they. Talk to them and understand who they are instead of treating them like they are monsters. You are the monster and a cruel person to treat children this way.


Students are People

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am a teacher of multiple trans and genderqueer students. Their right to feel comfortable and respected in my class will always come before a politician’s desire to discredit someone’s identity.


<!DOCTYPE html>

I Strongly Oppose the Reversal of Transgender Protections


Teachers ARE not to act as parents.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I support the legislation being put forth.  </p>


Support - Don't diminish parental rights over minor children

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>Stop taking away parental rights over their children.  There's a reason they are called "minors"! </p>


Stop harassment of public school students about gender and related issues

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am in general opposed to Youngkin's public education policies and particularly object to his BULLY attitude toward kids in public schools. I wish he would resign and move out of Virginia!


I support LGBTQI+ students in Virginia schools

<!DOCTYPE html>

Last month, Governor Youngkin and the Virginia Department of Education proposed a deeply disturbing policy that endangers LGBTQI+ students.

Governor Youngkin's draft model policy is draconian, controlling, and rooted in transphobia. Trans and nonbinary students under this policy will be in danger of suffering:

Misgendering on a daily basis

Bullying and a learning environment with no accountability systems in place to address harassment

The inability to access sex-separated spaces matching their gender identity, which includes being prevented from using bathrooms or participating on sports teams matching their gender identity

Being outed to their parents by teachers without the student’s consent

LGBTQI+ students are already at a higher risk of suicide because of the isolation and stigmatization they face as a result of policies like the Virginia Department of Education’s that deny their identities and leave them unprotected. Virginia’s policy would only further ostracize already-marginalized students and leave them vulnerable to violence and ridicule in a world where their existence is not just denied, but increasingly labeled as dangerous-and even criminal-by extremists. Our students need us to support them, not discriminate against them.

I OPPOSE this guidance.


Support new pro-parent policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

I'm really thankful for this proposal for the following reasons:

The new policies honor the sacred role of parents in the care of their children during school, athletics and other activities.

Parents know their children’s needs better than anyone. If children are struggling with gender dysphoria, they need guidance and emotional support from parents. Under the new policies, school officials must keep parents fully informed, and require schools to enforce laws, regulations and policies that prohibit and deter bullying or harassment.

Student participation in sex-specific athletics, school activities and events should be determined by sex, e.g., for overnight travel accommodations and locker rooms.

Students should use the bathrooms that correspond to their sex. Single-user bathrooms and facilities should be made available in accessible areas and provided with appropriate signage, indicating accessibility for all students.

The new policies protect the fundamental religious liberty interests of personnel and students.


Support Parental Rights

<!DOCTYPE html>

Teach Math, Science and the rest of the fundamentals.

Let Parents deal with raising the child and sexuality.


support trans rights and privacy

<!DOCTYPE html>

The government should not be policing children's bodies. This proposal would inevitably end up with invasion of privacy of children when someone suspects their gender at birth differs from their gender identity.  Stay out of it!   Also, I support transgender rights and this is undermines those rights. Thank you


In Strong Opposition to the 2022 Virginia Model Policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

The newly revised document seeks to remove the agency of Virginia's trans youth and make them nothing more than extensions of their parents. The document claims to be for the wellbeing of Virginia's student population, yet is filled with nothing but vile policies that walk back previous efforts to actually improve the situation of transgender students in our public schools. Instead, the document's true effect on the students of Virginia will be a worsening of the mental states of the already oppressed, and will no doubt cause an increase in cases of abuse, domestic violence, and suicide in Virginia households.

The new policies look to put children's health and wellbeing in the hands of their parents, but fail to see (or potentially simply neglect to mention) how many children this could endanger, and how forcing the ability to control one's own identity out of our student's hands will obviously only worsen their wellbeing. Let me draw an example for those who don't understand the dire consequences of these new, loathsome policies. Say a Virginian child who was raised in a household with heavily Christian beliefs, a classic Republican household, a Glenn Youngkin voter. But at some point, that child grows into a student of reasonable intellect and starts developing their own beliefs, personality, and identity. And they realize they're a bit uncomfortable in their own skin, and that they would prefer different pronouns or to change their gender to feel more like who they know themselves to be. However, this student knows that their parents, who have more than likely been radicalized to the right by a combination of hateful propaganda and furthering christian nationalism in the last decade, would not only not approve of their decision, but detest them for it. The student obviously would not willingly inform their parents then, but under these new policies, if the student does not inform their parents then the student can't live under their own identity at school either, considering the second principle of these model policies.  The student then would be forced to hide their identity at school as well, or risk being forcefully outed to their parents under the third policy stated in the document. And as we all know, repression is known around the world as the greatest thing for one's mental state!

And of course, what happens if their parents become aware of their identity? Well, the student either becomes one of Virginia's many homeless transgender teens or suffer in an abusive household.

In summary, the Youngkin administration's lame attempt to appeal to their more hateful constituents would result in the endangerment and worsened mental state of many a transgender or nonbinary student statewide, while serving no purpose other than to win some points with overprotective uninformed parents.


Strongly opposed to model policies for Treatment of Transgender Students

<!DOCTYPE html>

I believe the proposed model policies will create significant harm to transgender and questioning students. Students need, first and foremost, to feel safe and respected. Unfortunately, not every child has that kind of environment at home, making it even more important to have access to this at school.  And for those children who do and who are able to constructively and supportively engage with their parents, these policies will still serve to "other" them and will be harmful.

These are vulnerable young people and they need and deserve our love and support and to not be further ostracized or bullied. I worry greatly that these policies will cause these children to experience additional physical and emotional harm and even increase suicide rates amongst this population.

Please, talk with transgender young people and their parents and create a model policy that both protects and respects these citizens.  Your proposed policy does not do that.


Oppose


Much Improvement from 2021 Policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am a parent of children in the Virginia public schools. I think these proposed Model Policies, though not perfect, are an improvement over the 2021 Model Policies, which I also commented on.

The 2021 Model Policies had four main flaws: 1) treating parents as obstacles or people to deceive; 2) the elimination of sex-segregated spaces; 3) the use of the term “sex assigned at birth;” and 4) the seemingly lack of awareness of how many children, particularly young girls, are being set on a path toward serious, permanent bodily harm by people and organizations with an ideological agenda.

I support the aspects of this revised policy that start with the assumption that parents should be treated with respect rather than deceived.  Even if parents have concerns about the way their child has reacted to feelings of gender dysphoria, they should never be deliberately deceived by schools. And schools should not be encouraged to do so by the state. This breeds distrust of key social institutions. The Virginia school system my children attend (Alexandria City), has a stated policy to “work with each family individually to develop an alternative that respects both the student and the parents/guardians.” This is the proper route to take; it is not appropriate for schools to deceive parents.

I support the proposed policy to ensure that places like bathrooms, locker rooms, sleeping areas, and athletic teams are segregated by sex. There are legitimate reasons why schools and other public facilities engage in sex-segregation when it comes to these areas. Female-only facilities are a key legacy of women’s rights movements and protect women against harassment, abuse, and assault. Girls or boys who desire privacy from the opposite sex when using the bathroom, changing clothes, or sleeping should not have the onus placed on them to request or find alternative arrangements or be stigmatized for wanting to have their legitimate desires respected.

I like that this policy eliminates the term “sex assigned at birth.” That phrase is an ideological one and has no place in public policy. Our sex is not “assigned,” but the recognition of an observed biological reality.

I also appreciate that the “resources” are not a list private-sector advocacy organizations with ideological motivations, but respected government institutions like the CDC and HHS.

I think there are aspects of the revised policies that are too strict (for example, I don’t think individual teachers and students should be prohibited from using whatever nicknames and pronouns they agree on in a particular classroom, though no one should be forced to use particular names and pronouns), but on the whole, the proposed policies are a great improvement over the 2021 Model Policies.


I OPPOSE the guidance

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a teacher I want to make school welcoming and inclusive. Make all children feel safe and affirmed at school.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I want people to know exactly how harmful and dangerous this policy is, I wholeheartedly oppose Youngkin’s student policy because for as much as he likes to claim that this is in our best interests and respects everyone, it most definitely does not. Outing transgender students to their families and furthering the abuse and bigotry we face each day will most definitely raise mortality rates for transgender youth, and they’re already scarily high, please take these words into consideration, you’re not helping us with this policy, you’re hurting us."}'>I want people to know exactly how harmful and dangerous this policy is, I wholeheartedly oppose Youngkin’s student policy because for as much as he likes to claim that this is in our best interests and respects everyone, it most definitely does not. Outing transgender students to their families and furthering the abuse and bigotry we face each day will most definitely raise mortality rates for transgender youth, and they’re already scarily high, please take these words into consideration, you’re not helping us with this policy, you’re hurting us.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly oppose the proposed guidance. The DOE's charge is to serve and protect children, not to appease parents who somehow feel slighted.

Simply put, LGBTQ youth are often put in peril. They are much more likely than their peers to experience significant mental health problems. In Fairfax County, about ONE IN FIVE LGBTQ youth actually tried to kill themselves in the past year.

There is plenty of research as to why this is the case. LGBTQ students feel the stresses and burdens of rejection, discrimination, and non-acceptance. In fact, when LGBTQ kids have people around them who accept them for who they are, those disparities diminish and, in some cases, are eliminated altogether. This is especially true when kids feel accepted by their families and in their schools.

But acceptance cannot be mandated. It takes time. And for many LGBTQ kids, home can be a very dangerous place if their parents aren't accepting of their identity. The proposed guidance can very easily lead to schools outing kids to their families. This will lead to kids dying. Make no mistake about it. And the Department knows it.

This guidance is put forth under the guise of "what parents want." What parents actually want is for all kids to be happy, healthy, and safe. This guidance will lead to the opposite.

The Department is responsible for educating our kids. If kids aren't happy, healthy, and safe, that job is infinitely more difficult.

Rescind this guidance now.


Parents have the responsibility and the rights for their children's care

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I strongly support parents rights to make decisions for their children. Let's support students' rights to have bathroom and locker room facilities used by people of the same physical type. What the doctors noted at birth is the guide to the right bathroom for a particular student. </p>


Fully Support Parental Rights policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

I support parental rights and the newly proposed policies.

Parents know their children’s needs better than anyone. If children are struggling with gender dysphoria, they need guidance and emotional support from parents. Under the new policies, school officials must keep parents fully informed, and require schools to enforce laws, regulations and policies that prohibit and deter bullying or harassment.

Student participation in sex-specific athletics, school activities and events should be determined by sex, e.g., for overnight travel accommodations and locker rooms.

Students should use the bathrooms that correspond to their sex. Single-user bathrooms and facilities should be made available in accessible areas and provided with appropriate signage, indicating accessibility for all students.


Stop the attack of trans youth in VA

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>LGBTQIA youth need support and affirmation at school. They most often do not get support at home from parents. It is a sad truth. Teachers and staff are simply calling trans students by a preferred name and pronoun while at school. Such a small act of respect which ALL humans deserve. These policy changes are discriminatory and will cause terrible harm to innocent children who deserve basic rights. </p>


Protect LGBTQ children

<!DOCTYPE html>

All children and young people have the right to be protected and kept safe from abuse and neglect.

LGBTQ+ children and young people face the same risks as all children and young people, but they are at greater risk of some types of abuse. For example, they might experience homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying or hate crime. They might also be more vulnerable to or at greater risk of sexual abuse, online abuse or sexual exploitation (Barnardo’s and Fox, 2016; McGeeney et al, 2017; Xu and Zheng, 2014).

Creating an inclusive and safe environments Virginia can help children and young people learn to respect everyone’s identity and reduce bullying.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p>I oppose the new model policies set forth by the Youngkin administration. These policies are not evidence based and will harm trans and non-binary students. Listen to trans and non-binary people and stop leveraging fear. </p>


I reject any form of harassment, or discrimination against trans and nonbinary youth.


I strongly oppose these willfully negligent and harmful policies

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am a nonbinary Virginian and proud Appalachian. I currently reside and work in Richmond with roots in southwestern VA (Chilhowie, VA). I strongly oppose the willfully negligent 2022 VDOE model policies. These proposed guidelines do not provide an equitable educational experience for all youth and will negatively impact educational and mental health outcomes across our state.

Supporters of this policy cite “parental rights” and the commitment school personnel have to parents of the students they serve. I ask, is the commitment of our educators, administrators, the VDOE itself, not first to the youth of Virginia? Is the promise of an affirming school environment where all students can thrive and grow as their true selves not more foundational than a false covenant between parents and personnel that undermines youths’ autonomy? Supporters of the 2022 policy believe the evidence-based 2021 policies drive a wedge between parents and youth by encouraging educators to withhold information. If a youth chooses to share sensitive aspects of their identity with their peers and educators but not their guardians, we should respect that. Whether that choice is made as a reflection of how they understand their guardians support to be conditional or as a personal decision allowing them to grow and self-reflect before inviting their guardians into all aspects of themselves, we must acknowledge that youth know themselves and know their family dynamics far better than a VDOE staff person or administrator.

I grew up in a religious environment surrounded by racist, transphobic, and homophobic small town rhetoric. I buried the queer parts of myself as deeply as I could during my school years – never letting myself consider, much less act on, how I was feeling. I saw the two openly gay students in my class ridiculed and ostracized by my peers, educators, and administrators. With no GSA, no trusted counselor, and no community support, other closeted youth like myself flocked to the few open-minded and affirming educators we knew. Even though I could not invite them in to learn about my queer identity until years later, they affirmed the queerer parts of myself that I also hoped to conceal during high school (my genderqueerness, love of art, rejection of conservative ideals and an inequitable system). When I finally shared with my mother and her parents that I was gay in college, I lost that entire support system. However, I was lucky to have built a new support system and chosen family of educators, college peers, and queer adults beforehand. These proposed policies strip youth of such agency and encourage them to bury their true selves deeper – taking away the haven that school, often an English classroom or art classroom, can be for queer youth.

60% of queer youth live in a home that is not affirming (The Trevor Project, 2022). When we laud parental rights, we endanger already marginalized youth by centering parents' so-called “right to know” over youths’ right to safety, affirmation, and growth. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half (53%) of transgender and nonbinary youth. A 2021 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project’s researchers found that transgender and nonbinary youth who reported gender identity acceptance from teachers and peers had significantly lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year. Specifically, having at least one accepting adult can reduce the risk of a suicide attempt among LGBTQ young people by 40 percent. Conservative policies attempting to restrict conversations about gender identity, sexuality, and intersectionality will not prevent students from being queer – that identity is inherent to their being. Rather, these policies only exacerbate negative mental health outcomes including suicide, depression, and anxiety. The VDOE, a district’s school board, or a homophobic guardian cannot erase a youth’s queerness, but they can drive them to suicide, addiction, and isolation through bigoted policy. If the humanistic argument respecting each youth’s personhood is not enough, consider how these 2022 model policies will reflect in absenteeism, student success measures, and school accreditation. Nearly one-third (32.2%) of LGBTQ+ students missed at least one day of school in the last month due to feeling unsafe (GLSEN, 2022). An estimated 1.8% of Virginia youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender, which corresponds to roughly 18,000 students under the VDOE’s jurisdiction. The disengagement of 18,000 students should be a motivating concern. The risk these policies place on the lives of 18,000 students, and the fear these policies strike into the hearts of 18,000 Virginian families should be a motivating concern. I implore you to rescind these model policies in favor of the 2021 evidence-based model policies. Created in consultation with community members and health professionals, they promoted a safer, healthier, and more affirming school experience where youth could thrive, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.


Virginia Department of Education: Removing protections for students

<!DOCTYPE html>

The State of Virginia, following Governor Youngkin's election, has become a system in which the teachers, the students, and the parents are encouraged to be combatants. For example, his administration has created a tip line requiring encouraging parents to 'report' a teacher who is not education properly; he has flirted with the idea of installing cameras in classrooms; he has not provided proper funding to schools, raised teacher pay or adding non-policing resource officers. He has encouraged parents to believe that schools are teaching critical race theory, without providing an adequate definition of what that actually is, and supported the idea that books should be banned from libraries, without challenging the content of the internet which is used without the benefit of classroom discussion.

His newest idea, to 'out' children who ask their teachers to call them something different than is on their 'official' school records, is a similar 'shake and bake' idea. As a retired secondary school teacher, I have dealt with many students who choose alternative names.  Sometimes, it is because their given name, makes them uncomfortable; sometimes, it is because there are too many other kids in their age cohort with the same name (When my son started kindergarten, there were five boys named "Scott" in his class, allegedly because of the popularity of MALCOLM Scott Carpenter who flew into space the same year as most of them were born.); sometimes it is because they were being bullied by other kids because of their birth name; sometimes it is a passing fancy; and rarely, it is because they are considering an alternative life style.  And now the Governor Glenn Allen Youngkin, would have teachers notify the child's parents if they wished to use another name.  That behavior would violate the trust between the teacher and the student; but, more importantly, it has the potential to lead to many unintended consequences.

Then there is the paperwork that would result from this policy. Do teachers and administrations really have enough time and energy to administer this policy?  How many hours will be pulled away from curriculum development and the administration of educational priorities by this policy? How many new non-teaching positions will have to be created to administer it?

I believe this is a flawed policy and should not be adopted.


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

<!DOCTYPE html>

I support this policy change.  Parent's alone know the needs of their children better than anyone.  The school system is there to educate our children in the skills they will need to be productive citizens.  The school system is not there to undermine the parents.  The public school system needs to return to teaching, Reading, writing, math and science.  They need to stop grooming and indoctrinating our children.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

This proposal is an absolute nightmare of public policy.  As a church youth director, I feel as though it is my duty to oppose this rule as a way of advocating for those teenagers I serve who would be directly harmed by this proposal.  The right of privacy for LQBTQ+ youth to be themselves in the places that they choose can be a matter of life and death.  Unsupportive families of queer youth is one of the top reasons to teen suicide in the US and in Virginia.  The Youngkin administration knowns this and simply does not care about the harm this rule will have on queer youth and would rather score political points with this abhorrent ruling.


affirm the autonomy and humanity of our LGBTQ youth

<!DOCTYPE html>

Our society is progressing toward justice and equality, we are obviously not there yet. We hit roadblocks and sometimes go in reverse, but we must continue pushing forward. We shouldn't have to bring God/faith into civil discourse, but if we do need that then we should be doing the "Christian thing" and affirm all humanity - all that stuff Jesus had to say was pretty important.


Restore parent rights cocerning education or their children

<!DOCTYPE html>

I am please with the proposed effort for the VDOE to restore parental rights when it comes to the education of their children. Since parents have responsibility, they should also have the rights to support that responsibility. Thank you, governor and VDOE team for doing the right thing.


Transgender youth

<!DOCTYPE html>

<p style="text-align: left;">Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policies on transgender youth is another one of his smoke screens. He does not respect transgender youth and his narrow thinking policies reflect that belief.  I do not believe that Virgilina should discrimate against anyone particularly vulnerable youth. </p>


Support Governor Youngkin's new model policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

Governor Youngkin’s new model policies regarding transgender students simply require the involvement of parents in important decisions about the lives of their children, protect the free speech rights of school personnel, and protect girls’ sports and privacy.

Three weeks ago, we saw organized walkouts of students during the academic workday in some Virginia schools in response to these policies. Even though many children are still struggling with deficits from the Covid lock downs, forced masking policies, and distance learning, an entire school day was disrupted by these walkouts.

Since these walkouts, it’s come to light that one of the organizing groups behind the walkouts also seeks as part of its work to “rehome” children if their parents aren’t deemed supportive enough, and will even provide cash payments to these kids to help them run away from home to live with an unrelated adult away from their family.

The risks to student safety and the disruption of the academic workday caused by these walkouts must be addressed, and we must work to correct the misinformation about the proposed polices pushed by political groups and caused by the failure to read the actual policies.

It is unconscionable that the current policy in any Virginia school allows teachers and school administrators to keep parents in the dark about important information about their own children. It is sad and disturbing that some object to giving those rights back to parents.

These new Virginia policies must strongly and unequivocally respect parental rights, protect employees’ rights of conscience and free speech, and protect girls’ sports and their privacy.


OPPOSE Discriminatory "guidance"

<!DOCTYPE html>

I vehemently OPPOSE the discriminatory "guidance" proposed by the VDOE and Governor. The wording is contradictory to the purpose and allows political gamesmanship rather than any benefit to students and the teachers who support them.

I'm a retiree - a professional public educator from Virginia who believes that ALL students need to be invited to learning in a safe and welcoming space.  I do not believe that segregation or discrimination or degradation of ANY of our students has any place in our esteemed educational community.

The Virginia Values Act is respectful of the privacy rights, equality and dignity of ALL.  The 2021 policies should remain in place.  Student rights are human rights.


OPPOSE

<!DOCTYPE html>

The current (2021) guidance was developed by experts and should remain in force. The proposed guidance contradicts best practices recommended by experts such as pediatricians and psychologists.   The schools' priority needs to be the best interests of the children and the 2021 guidance furthers that goal while the 2022 does not and instead bends to the will of parents who are not informed on the topic and are guided by emotion and/or religion, neither of which have any place in a public school. The lawmakers and the school system need to listen to the experts and the facts and stick with the 2021 policies.


Protect  LGBTQI+ students

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose the "model" policy!


I OPPOSE

<!DOCTYPE html>

I OPPOSE the guidance. Trans and nonbinary students deserve the same rights and support as other students.


Oppose

I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students. As a gender-expansive student and friend to many transgender and gender-expansive students, I understand first-hand the way the proposal will negatively impact students and their families. If approved, this proposal will most likely cause an increase in depression and suicide rates in Virginia, as seen throughout history.Transgender and gender-expansive students are simply living their lives and have more important school-related topics to keep track of without worrying about their safety.Please understand the lives the proposal is affecting.Once again, I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students. As a gender-expansive student and friend to many transgender and gender-expansive students, I understand first-hand the way the proposal will negatively impact students and their families. If approved, this proposal will most likely cause an increase in depression and suicide rates in Virginia, as seen throughout history.\n\nTransgender and gender-expansive students are simply living their lives and have more important school-related topics to keep track of without worrying about their safety.\n\nPlease understand the lives the proposal is affecting.\n\nOnce again, I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students."}'>I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students. As a gender-expansive student and friend to many transgender and gender-expansive students, I understand first-hand the way the proposal will negatively impact students and their families. If approved, this proposal will most likely cause an increase in depression and suicide rates in Virginia, as seen throughout history.

Transgender and gender-expansive students are simply living their lives and have more important school-related topics to keep track of without worrying about their safety.

Please understand the lives the proposal is affecting.

Once again, I oppose Governor Youngkin’s proposal on the treatment of transgender and gender-expansive students.


In support of trans youth

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose any measures that do not support trans youth by affirming their gender identity or pronoun preference, and which violate their privacy. I am a teacher. I have teenager children. I love and accept all my kids, their friends, and my students regardless of their gender identities but rather for their sweet hearts and growing minds.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly oppose this attempt to dehumanize the LGBTQ community. I stand with trans youth in allyship and will fight to ensure they are protected and supported in our schools.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I oppose this new act. I have faced years of bullying for expressing my identity as a genderfluid person. I have not endangered other people with my identity, but other people have put me in danger. This would make an already horrible situation even worse. Plus, if students are forcibly outed, home lives could get even worse. As a closeted person, it is hard to hear your own parents oppose your gender identity when they don’t even know that you identify as such. Imagine how much worse it would get for students whose parents already oppose transgender people to exist with their parents opposing and abusing them now as well. This act is harmful and dangerous for students. If we truly want to protect children, this act cannot pass. Protecting youths includes protecting transgender youths."}'>I oppose this new act. I have faced years of bullying for expressing my identity as a genderfluid person. I have not endangered other people with my identity, but other people have put me in danger. This would make an already horrible situation even worse. Plus, if students are forcibly outed, home lives could get even worse. As a closeted person, it is hard to hear your own parents oppose your gender identity when they don’t even know that you identify as such. Imagine how much worse it would get for students whose parents already oppose transgender people to exist with their parents opposing and abusing them now as well. This act is harmful and dangerous for students. If we truly want to protect children, this act cannot pass. Protecting youths includes protecting transgender youths.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a clinical social worker serving adolescents in Virginia, I strongly oppose this guidance. It is vital to affirm trans and non-binary children and teens to support their mental health and well-being.


I strongly oppose Youngkin's proposed changes

<!DOCTYPE html>

I strongly oppose the changes to the VDOE's policy regarding transgender students. I am the parent of a transgender elementary school student. Under the previous policy our child was welcomed in his school and his gender was affirmed through the use of a new name and pronouns. He was happy and thrived in the school environment.

The changes to this policy will lead to potentially outing my child to his classmates and making him vulnerable to bullying. He was previously bullied for using the girls bathroom (which matches his sex assigned at birthday), and girls refused to let him in because he looked like a boy. Socially transitioning at school resulted in NO issues using the boys bathroom (which matches his gender identity).

The new policy changes will harm transgender kids and create a hostile environment in the school by forcibly outing children. Forcibly outing a student to their family can also be dangerous. Approximately 60% of parents reject LGBTQ+ youth, which can lead to depression and in some case homelessness for the child. Children whose gender is affirmed by an adult, such as a teacher or school counselor, has their suicide rate reduced from over 50% to ~4% (the same rate as non-transgender youth). If the VDOE cares about children, it will support transgender children through evidence-based policies. If it cares about Parental Rights it will respect my right as a parent to NOT have my child mis-named, mis-gendered, bullied for using the bathroom that does not fit his identity, and forcibly outed to his peers.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"These new regulations affect me in a really horrible way. Up until now, I’ve been out at school and the teachers have been calling me Rhyme, which is my chosen name. However, if this was to go into effect, I would be constantly deadnamed and misgendered. This would affect my mental health so negatively that I honestly don’t know what I’d do. My dad is super homophobic and transphobic, so I’m not out at his house, and if I were outed to him by my school, I’d either have to endure that hell half the time or petition the courts to live full-time with my mom. This would overall be a horrible situation for me, but I know it would be worse for so many kids. Please, if you care about teen mental health and suicide rates, don’t release this regulations. I promise you will regret it."}'>These new regulations affect me in a really horrible way. Up until now, I’ve been out at school and the teachers have been calling me Rhyme, which is my chosen name. However, if this was to go into effect, I would be constantly deadnamed and misgendered. This would affect my mental health so negatively that I honestly don’t know what I’d do. My dad is super homophobic and transphobic, so I’m not out at his house, and if I were outed to him by my school, I’d either have to endure that hell half the time or petition the courts to live full-time with my mom. This would overall be a horrible situation for me, but I know it would be worse for so many kids. Please, if you care about teen mental health and suicide rates, don’t release this regulations. I promise you will regret it.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose the guidance of the Trans & Non-Binary Student Policy


I OPPOSE the guidance

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I am a mental health professional working in public schools. It is my job first and foremost to keep students safe. The proposed guidance is moving in the opposite direction of safe, creating a threat to students who identify as transgender or gender nonbinary. As it stands, young people who identify as transgender are at a higher risk of bullying and suicide -- all because they want to live a life that is true. It is our fundamental right to be free in this country and state and express ourselves as long as we do not harm others. The guidance by Governor Youngkin is moving backward and putting students at risk. I vehemently oppose the currently proposed guidance."}'>I am a mental health professional working in public schools. It is my job first and foremost to keep students safe. The proposed guidance is moving in the opposite direction of safe, creating a threat to students who identify as transgender or gender nonbinary. As it stands, young people who identify as transgender are at a higher risk of bullying and suicide -- all because they want to live a life that is true. It is our fundamental right to be free in this country and state and express ourselves as long as we do not harm others. The guidance by Governor Youngkin is moving backward and putting students at risk. I vehemently oppose the currently proposed guidance.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

As a school counselor I oppose the Virginia Department of Education’s 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools as they are currently proposed.  Gender diverse students are often bullied at home and in the community so for many gender diverse students the school is a safer space. School counselors have an ethical and professional responsibility to advocate for LGBTQ+ students. As a school counselor I strive to create a space that empowers all students. The proposed model policies are not in accordance with evidence-based best practices concerning the treatment of gender diverse students.


Opposing the Anti-Trans Policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"I strongly oppose the anti-trans policy that has been presented. I think so often policymakers forget that they are discussing real people, and in this case, real children. Think about that. The non-binary and trans children of this state will now suffer through their most formative years being outed, discriminated against, bullied, belittled, and humiliated by people who are supposed to protect them. The policy is nothing more than blatant hatred towards these students. How can you look at it and see anything else? It was not written to protect anyone; it was written to restrict the rights of a group of people already at risk of bullying and discrimination. With this policy, children will be outed to their parents and peers if the teachers see fit, effectively destroying childhoods. I do not doubt that Virginia will see a rise in mental health problems, adolescent crime, and potentially suicides or suicidal behavior. I grew up in Virginia, in Hanover County, and graduated several years ago. I have never been more disappointed in my state, my elected officials, and the school systems. I identify as non-binary and I have to live with the knowledge every day that there are people in this state and country that hate me and wish me ill simply because of who I am. All people deserve protection and respect. Children, adolescents, students - they're people. They're old enough to know who they are. The world would be a better place if we just gave people the space to figure out who they are, and not only does this policy restrict that experience, it demolishes any attempt for self-awareness or community support. I have people I dearly love and support, who have known who they are for years, and this policy will make their lives a living nightmare. Children should never be afraid to go to school, and yet this policy is implementing the most hostile environment possible. Don't we want our children educated, excited, and prepared for what comes next in life? How can they learn when they are in constant fear of being shamed, harmed, or outed? These students just want to use the restroom, prepare for gym class, and attend classes in peace. Treating them like convicts and pariahs is so disrespectful it's cruel. This is direct discrimination and it is illegal. It is turning personal opinions into a public attack on the rights and lives of trans and non-binary students, and it will jeopardize the rest of these students' lives."}">I strongly oppose the anti-trans policy that has been presented. I think so often policymakers forget that they are discussing real people, and in this case, real children. Think about that. The non-binary and trans children of this state will now suffer through their most formative years being outed, discriminated against, bullied, belittled, and humiliated by people who are supposed to protect them. The policy is nothing more than blatant hatred towards these students. How can you look at it and see anything else? It was not written to protect anyone; it was written to restrict the rights of a group of people already at risk of bullying and discrimination. With this policy, children will be outed to their parents and peers if the teachers see fit, effectively destroying childhoods. I do not doubt that Virginia will see a rise in mental health problems, adolescent crime, and potentially suicides or suicidal behavior. I grew up in Virginia, in Hanover County, and graduated several years ago. I have never been more disappointed in my state, my elected officials, and the school systems. I identify as non-binary and I have to live with the knowledge every day that there are people in this state and country that hate me and wish me ill simply because of who I am. All people deserve protection and respect. Children, adolescents, students - they're people. They're old enough to know who they are. The world would be a better place if we just gave people the space to figure out who they are, and not only does this policy restrict that experience, it demolishes any attempt for self-awareness or community support. I have people I dearly love and support, who have known who they are for years, and this policy will make their lives a living nightmare. Children should never be afraid to go to school, and yet this policy is implementing the most hostile environment possible. Don't we want our children educated, excited, and prepared for what comes next in life? How can they learn when they are in constant fear of being shamed, harmed, or outed? These students just want to use the restroom, prepare for gym class, and attend classes in peace. Treating them like convicts and pariahs is so disrespectful it's cruel. This is direct discrimination and it is illegal. It is turning personal opinions into a public attack on the rights and lives of trans and non-binary students, and it will jeopardize the rest of these students' lives.


I vehemently oppose the draft policy

<!DOCTYPE html>

ALL children deserve to feel safe at school. The draft model policy is harmful, inconsiderate and downright dangerous. As a community member, as a parent of children in Virginia's public schools, and as the family member of a trans identified student, I strongly oppose the draft policy and urge that it not move forward.


I OPPOSE!

<!DOCTYPE html>

I oppose the proposed policy. Hate has no place in our schools and trans and non-binary students deserve to be safe, accepted, and included.


Approve

<!DOCTYPE html>

It's a slippery slope taking parental rights away.


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I am a mom of transgender child and non-binary child. They both came out to me when they were 13 years old. I will tell you all the teachers and administrators have been wonderful in Henrico county public schools making both my kids feel comfortable in high school. They are called there chosen names and called their pronouns by all teachers. Their school have made accommodations in PE class as well. Equality is important and to treat everyone equal!!"}'>I am a mom of transgender child and non-binary child. They both came out to me when they were 13 years old. I will tell you all the teachers and administrators have been wonderful in Henrico county public schools making both my kids feel comfortable in high school. They are called there chosen names and called their pronouns by all teachers. Their school have made accommodations in PE class as well. Equality is important and to treat everyone equal!!


Oppose

<!DOCTYPE html>

I OPPOSE the proposed guidance


support


I oppose the guidance of the Trans & Non-Binary Student Policy

I have worked in the mental health field with children and families for 15 years. I have worked both in schools and in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I, therefore, understand the trauma associated with outing a student, before they are ready, to their parents. Children would tell their parents if they believed their parents would support them. They chose not to tell because they are scared of the consequences, and rightfully so. Parents who are not supportive may physically harm their child, emotionally abuse them, kick them out, etc. Trans youth already have to navigate numerous barriers as they grow into adulthood. Harrowing statistics from a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender youth -- with the highest rates among transgender boys and non-binary youth. The findings emphasize the urgency of building welcoming and safe communities for transgender youth (https://www.hrc.org/news/new-study-reveals-shocking-rates-of-attempted-suicide-among-trans-adolescen).School is one of the few places these youth may feel comfortable. Why take that away from them?

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I have worked in the mental health field with children and families for 15 years. I have worked both in schools and in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I, therefore, understand the trauma associated with outing a student, before they are ready, to their parents. Children would tell their parents if they believed their parents would support them. They chose not to tell because they are scared of the consequences, and rightfully so. Parents who are not supportive may physically harm their child, emotionally abuse them, kick them out, etc. \n\nTrans youth already have to navigate numerous barriers as they grow into adulthood. Harrowing statistics from a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender youth -- with the highest rates among transgender boys and non-binary youth. The findings emphasize the urgency of building welcoming and safe communities for transgender youth (https://www.hrc.org/news/new-study-reveals-shocking-rates-of-attempted-suicide-among-trans-adolescen).\n\nSchool is one of the few places these youth may feel comfortable. Why take that away from them? "}'>I have worked in the mental health field with children and families for 15 years. I have worked both in schools and in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I, therefore, understand the trauma associated with outing a student, before they are ready, to their parents. Children would tell their parents if they believed their parents would support them. They chose not to tell because they are scared of the consequences, and rightfully so. Parents who are not supportive may physically harm their child, emotionally abuse them, kick them out, etc.

Trans youth already have to navigate numerous barriers as they grow into adulthood. Harrowing statistics from a study recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed alarming levels of attempted suicide among transgender youth -- with the highest rates among transgender boys and non-binary youth. The findings emphasize the urgency of building welcoming and safe communities for transgender youth (https://www.hrc.org/news/new-study-reveals-shocking-rates-of-attempted-suicide-among-trans-adolescen).

School is one of the few places these youth may feel comfortable. Why take that away from them?


I oppose this policy


Backward and Dangerous

I strongly oppose the 2022 Model Policy.This 2022 Model Policy proposal makes my stomach churn. Denying the existence of transgender students, punishing them for being themselves and revealing their identity before they are ready is cruel. Students should feel safe in their school environment, in all ways. This policy would remove any sense of safety they may have. I find this policy lacking in substance, unsupported by facts and studies, and ignoring the needs of a minority. There seems to be some horrible agenda to hurt people in this administration. Find another place for this power play - leave LGBTQIA+ students alone. Let them learn in peace.I hope wiser minds decide to return to the adequate 2021 DOE Model Policy. Doing otherwise is a horrible threat to Virginia students.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<span data-sheets-userformat='{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}' data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"I strongly oppose the 2022 Model Policy.\n\nThis 2022 Model Policy proposal makes my stomach churn. Denying the existence of transgender students, punishing them for being themselves and revealing their identity before they are ready is cruel. Students should feel safe in their school environment, in all ways. This policy would remove any sense of safety they may have. I find this policy lacking in substance, unsupported by facts and studies, and ignoring the needs of a minority. There seems to be some horrible agenda to hurt people in this administration. Find another place for this power play - leave LGBTQIA+ students alone. Let them learn in peace.\n\nI hope wiser minds decide to return to the adequate 2021 DOE Model Policy. Doing otherwise is a horrible threat to Virginia students."}'>I strongly oppose the 2022 Model Policy.

This 2022 Model Policy proposal makes my stomach churn. Denying the existence of transgender students, punishing them for being themselves and revealing their identity before they are ready is cruel. Students should feel safe in their school environment, in all ways. This policy would remove any sense of safety they may have. I find this policy lacking in substance, unsupported by facts and studies, and ignoring the needs of a minority. There seems to be some horrible agenda to hurt people in this administration. Find another place for this power play - leave LGBTQIA+ students alone. Let them learn in peace.

I hope wiser minds decide to return to the adequate 2021 DOE Model Policy. Doing otherwise is a horrible threat to Virginia students.