Political Games

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I've watched with great sadness as conservative politicians around the nation have made transgender youth and their families targets in their gamesmanship. Heartbreakingly, such games are now being played in Virginia with Youngkin at the helm. His transphobic model policies subvert the intention of the law by targeting trans and non-binary kids for harm, seeking to erase trans and non-binary identities from our classrooms, and creating environments in our schools where trans and non-binary students will not feel welcome and included or be able to safely access help when needed. Such model policies and legislation based on the need to secure "parental rights," often forget that, sadly too often, it's parents that students need protecting from, especially when students are LGBTQ+. Let's focus on making our schools welcoming, inclusive, and safe environments for students to learn rather than turning our schools into instruments of the state to target, erase, and harm students through model policies obviously created as red meat for Younkin's conservative base.


Opposed

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<p>My name is Alexis Fleming and my pronouns are she/her. I am very thankful to call Virginia my home and maintain high hopes for the commonwealth. When envisioning the future of this state it is aligned with a modern day belief system that does not discriminate upon any individual. It is for this reason that I am starkly opposed to the passing of this bill. It has the potential to cause irrefutable harm towards a demographic of youth that have already been suppressed and isolated. Many of the propositions stated within this bill are founded upon preconceived notions and biases. The solution to the issues facing America’s school systems does not lie in unraveling years of progress. Furthermore, it is not the role of school officials to involve themselves in familial affairs unless there is a concern for safety. The model policies proposed by the Virginia Department of Education allow for the just treatment of all students regardless of their gender identity. The VDOE model must be implemented in lieu of Governor Younkin’s proposed model policy in order to achieve equality and create a positive learning environment. </p>
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I support the Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents

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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 their 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.


Opposed to this hateful policy

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<p>This is crazy. This is the typical social wars. If you can’t win fairly you find a scapegoat to divide people. Only the people are the most vulnerable among us and children. This policy will cause us to lose children to suicide. Let’s care about each other. If you can call William Bill. You can call Evan Eve. </p>


Opposing Gov Youngkin's Draft Trans Student Policies

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Governor Youngkin's proposed policies for transgender students are contrary to state law and unconstitutional.

Trans kids are kids, and all children need and deserve to be loved, supported, and respected. These draft policies for trans students are mean-spirited and could lead to school officials "outing" students to their families before they may be ready to have that conversation. That can be devastating for a young person - or anyone.

According to a survey from Pew Research, about 5% of adults under 30 are trans or non-binary. A survey from the Trevor Project found that youth who feel like they are supported by people in their life - such as using correct pronouns - reported lower rates of suicide attempts.

I urge you to scrap these draft policies and allow the previous administration's to remain in place.

Terry McGuire

Roanoke, VA


Parents are first responsible to educate their own children. Government and schools are to support

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My comment applies to the spirit of all de ele.


Strongly oppose /  trans kids need our support

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This legislation is hurtful to trans kids. Trans kids (all kids) need school to be a safe place where they can be themselves and not be bullied or discriminated against. The legislation means they cannot be themselves. It makes school not a safe place.
Many parents don't accept their trans children and to now make school a place where they have to pretend to be someone else and/or worry about being outed to their parents - this is not right.
Governor, please reconsider. Children need us in their corner.

Please read pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32

Also an article in medical news today June 14,2022 talks about suicide rates of transgender teens. We should be concerned.


Respect Students and Parents: Oppose this misguided policy that does neither.

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I write in opposition to the Youngkin Administration’s inaccurately titled “Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools.” The newly proposed policies single out vulnerable students for mistreatment and send the wrong message to their peers.  The consequences will be felt not just by LGBTQ+ students, who are no longer empowered and encouraged to be the best version of themselves, but by all students.  Teaching our children that being true to themselves is wrong neither fosters a better learning environment nor does it keep our kids safe.

Parents entrust schools to help their children develop and grow as people in a safe and secure environment. A school that does not respect its students cannot live up to that fundamental promise, and respect for students and respect for parents go hand in hand.  Respecting students does not mean schools cannot control their classroom environments or discipline bad behavior.  But students asking to be recognized for who they are does absolutely nothing to disrupt learning or make a school environment less safe. Let’s be clear: referring to someone by their preferred name or using their preferred pronouns empowers that individual, and has zero negative consequences for other student peers. Students whose gender identities are not respected face higher levels of depression and anxiety, and a decreased sense of belonging, all of which make it harder for them to learn and contribute to their school community. Non-discrimination policies reduce LGBTQ+ bullying, reduce truancy, improve overall health outcomes, and make all students safer.

The proposed Model Policies will have a clear and devastating effect: life will be more difficult for trans students. If we truly want to promote schools that show “respect for all students and parents," the proposed Model Policies must be rejected.


BULLYING AND HATRED LEAD TO SUICIDE- SUPPORT TRANS PEOPLE

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school isnt a mental health facility, but students have the right to feel safe in their schools. please think deeply about this before supporting. if your kid was trans would you want them to be talked about like this? even if you dont support trans people, they should have basic respect.


Allow kids to be kids

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<p>Please do not pass a law regarding students (children) to have parental approval for their chosen pronouns. Let kids be kids. Let children choose their path. Not all parents are loving and accepting of their kids’ choices. What’s the harm in a chosen promo. Who cares? Who’s it hurting? Let kids be kids. Let humans be humans. Spread love not hate. </p>


Parents protect their children mental physical and spiritual well being; not an institution

Parents have responsibility for their children, not the school and not the medical community.Parents look out for the mental, physical, and spiritual well being of thier children.It is their duty and they have rights that have been usurped by the schools and the government. This must no longer be allowed since the result of the institutions meddling is the breakup of the family. Children do not have rights that supercede their parents. Institutions like the government and the school do not care for the children nor should they without the parent's permission. The parents are liable for their child's well being.  No one else.

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Parents have responsibility for their children, not the school and not the medical community.
Parents look out for the mental, physical, and spiritual well being of thier children.
It is their duty and they have rights that have been usurped by the schools and the government. This must no longer be allowed since the result of the institutions meddling is the breakup of the family. Children do not have rights that supercede their parents. Institutions like the government and the school do not care for the children nor should they without the parent's permission. The parents are liable for their child's well being.  No one else.


Fairfax should support this! After boy in skirt raped twice!


Extremly concerned grandmother of 12

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In reference to transgender students....

I am grandmother to 12 beautiful kids.  One of my 5 year old twins ask if I was a boy or girl.  I'm a girl silly. Am I a boy or girl?  You're a boy!  Why am I a boy?  Because God made you a boy!

Someone planted that question in his head!!  If we're talking about college students, they can make their own decisions.  If we are talking about K thru 12, they are a CHILD without the mental capability to make those life changing choices.  I DO NOT want a boy in the bathroom with my grandaughters!  Children should not have a choice of keeping such secrets from their parents....

They are there to be get an education,  not to be given rights they are not mature enough to make.  If you have a penis, you are a boy! If you have a vagina, you are a girl!  PERIOD!  When you become mature enough to sit and talk to your parents,  they will support you, and if they don't then you should be old enough to decide on your own.

God help our nation and protect our kids!


protecting trans & non-binary students

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I oppose the 2022 draft model policy.  I find it very frightening that the Governor is willing to create such an oversimplified policy that can so dramatically impact a student's mental health and physical safety.  In fact, the policy seems coldly calculated for political gain rather than to protect the well-being of an at risk population of students.  Is the Governor somehow unaware of the the hostility directed at trans and non-binary people by some people in society, including parents, teachers, and school administrators?  The goal of this model policy should be to protect these students from discrimination, not place them in harms way by creating a hostile and potentially dangerous school environment.

Of particular concern is that it ties the hands of teachers and staff who many wish to be supportive.  For example, staff would have to "out" students to their parents against their will in some circumstances, such as when a student seeks counseling.  Teachers and staff would also be forced not to be supportive, such as forbidding use of student's chosen name and pronouns.

Model policies like these should consider the complexities of these scenarios and look for ways that schools can be a safe haven, where parental involvement is welcome but students also have space for self-determination and safety.  Looking at bathroom and sports policies in this light rather than with Youngkin's simplistic, authoritarian, and, yes, cruel approach will lead to a healthier environment for students.  There may not be a simple cut-and-dry answer to these challenges, but ruling out the option of flexibility and creativity in solving them is a sad way to run a public school system.

Please do not adopt the 2022 draft model policy.  Start again for keep the current policy.

Sincerely,

Christina Wulf

Staunton, VA


This is just an Anti-Trans policy

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Call a spade a spade. This anti- trans policy is laser focused on causing injury to trans kids. There is no other sense to it. Claiming it has anything to do with parents is ludicrous. All it does is force a child to come out to their parents, which is frightening to a child with no support. Take quick look on YouTube and you're likely to find thousands of kids coming out horror stories. This is what every gay kid is expecting.  For reference my kid is trans. I used to perform gay weddings in the 90s before it was legal. My kid didn't know that. My kid was terrified to come out to me. So when you take away safe environments kids are more likely to commit suicide, turn to drugs and act out violently. Parents aren't the ones in danger because they don't get to choose when or how their LGBTQ kid comes out to them. Their kid is whatever their kid is and nothing in this policy changes that, it just makes school an unsafe place for a child. No parents are harmed by the existing policy. It's about protecting children. The new policy will kill children.


This is a cruel political move that doesn’t protect our kids

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<p>As a parent, who used to support Republican policy, I disagree with this and the politicization of our children to score political points. There was zero legitimate science cited to conceive this policy, and it is evident that this administration is looking to demonize our educators, students, and parents. I support LGBT youth, and the safety that comes with having supportive educational environments. This policy will only harm our children. </p>


Rescind the model policies

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<p>Rescind the model policies </p>


Strongly Opposed

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<p>Trans kids matter. </p>


Thank you for protecting parental rights, Governor Youngkin.

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Thank you for standing up for what is right, Governor Youngkin.


Transgender Policy

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Parents Matter? YOU cannot allow a political slogan to dictate what is morally right for children. Allowing children to suffer at the hands of politicians and allies who lack understanding of how a trans or binary child feels is wrong. Go back to the drawing board. You need to do better. I object to the new guidelines.


Support - school isn’t mental health facility

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If trans kids are saying they’re suicidal then they need to go to a mental health hospital. Just like addicts will go for treatment. We don’t make all these accommodations for addicts. School is for learning. If the issue is suicide, the mental health professionals need to get involved. And not during school hours where other kids academics are hampered. America academics statistics are really bad right now. We should be focusing on waking brains out of Covid lockdowns, not on gender ideology. Andy principal or teacher who says otherwise is wasting my hard earned tAxpayer money.


OPPOSED- THIS POLICY DISALLOWS STUDENTS FROM USING THEIR NAME


I fiercely oppose these transphobic and harmful proposals

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I'm the parent of a kindergartener in Virginia public schools. Just as we teach our child that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, we expect our public schools to live up to their mission--and their duty--to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where all children can thrive. It is the antithesis of this mission and this duty to deny basic human dignity to the thousands of trans and nonbinary kids in our public schools. These proposed model policies would do just that. I fiercely oppose them.

Dr. King famously said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." As the ACLU of Virginia and many others have explained in public comments in this record, these proposed model policies will do real harm to trans and nonbinary kids. My child may not be trans or nonbinary herself, but the proposed model policies would inflict injustices on her trans and nonbinary schoolmates, the effects of which would reverberate beyond them. My child would bear witness to those indignities. She would see school personnel deadnaming kids, calling them by the wrong gender's pronouns, refusing to let them play sports with same-gendered classmates, and forcing them to use the wrong gender's bathroom. She may even learn that school personnel have outed kids to their parents. These indignities would make my child complicit in the systematized denial of other kids' humanity, while undermining her trust in the public institutions charged with providing safe havens and support for all children.

The cruelty is the point. We all know why the Youngkin administration is doing this. Under the guise of "parents' rights" and in disregard of settled law, this administration is trying to score political points by picking on vulnerable, misunderstood children and targeting them for discrimination. These proposed model policies elevate the bigotry of transphobic parents above the dignity of their own children. The administration's supporters may wish that trans and nonbinary kids simply did not exist. But these kids do exist. Their lives matter. They deserve to be cared for with kindness and compassion, not dismissed with derision and contempt.

Shame on you all.


This is harmful to Trans and Non-binary Youth and you know that. You are a danger to children.

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This is harmful to Trans and Non-binary Youth and you know that. You are a danger to children and you should feel ashamed of yourself for that. All children deserve protection and support and Trans youth especially need it due to the disproportionate amount of hardship imposed upon them.


Treat our youth with respect (OPPOSE)

These policies are going to harm human beings- children. Trans youth are not some political chess piece. They are living, breathing people who deserve rights. Please don't put trans youth in danger by outing them to parents and taking away counseling. Please treat our youth with the respect they deserve.

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<p>These policies are going to harm<em> </em>human beings- children. Trans youth are not some political chess piece. They are living, breathing people who deserve rights. Please don't put trans youth in danger by outing them to parents and taking away counseling. Please treat our youth with the respect they deserve. </p>


This is a violation of children’s rights

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This is a violation of children’s autonomy and their right to express themselves


transgender student's gender identity only with parent’s written permission proposed by Youngkin

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I think that this is a good proposal from Youngkin to refer children that have gender dysphoria only if parents ask in a written document


Parents need to be involved in their children's lives and decisions

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I agree with Governor Youngkin's proposal.  We are talking about legislation that effects children and adolescents, younger than 18 years old.  I believe that parents need to be involved in their children's live and help and guide them in making important, life altering decisions.  It is the parent's responsibility to raise their children, not the school or the government.  Children and adolescents are figuring out who they are, experimenting, and need guidance from parents, counselors, and doctors in making decisions about their sexuality.  The parents need to be the primary person responsible for helping to guide and support their child in this difficult decision.

I have heard a lot of comments about the rights of transgender individual being allowed to choose their pronoun, which bathroom or locker room to use, etc.  These individuals are the minority.  What about the other students' rights?  Should they be subject to having individual of the opposite sex/transgender in the bathroom or locker room.  Middle school and early high school are already an awkward time for teenagers.  This just put additional pressure on the majority of the students.  Their rights also need to be considered.  There should be a separate facility for transgender students, so the are not infringing on the rights of the majority.


Strongly Oppose

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The governor's proposed policies will put students at risk in one of the few safe places in their lives. As a former public school teacher, I know that children need to feel safe and accepted for who they are to be able to learn. Please don't put pandering for political points ahead of our children and youths' safety and well-being. If you truly care about education, assure that all students are respected for who they are.


Opposed: Protecting Trans kids saves lives

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As a public educator, I am well aware of the complicated world young people navigate daily and how vulnerable they can be.  Being negatively judged by the adults they should be able to trust can have devastating effects on the mental health sense of self during critical developmental years. Nobody should have to learn in an environment who doesn't respect who they are.  Please respect trans kids' rights.


Reject the proposal

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I fully reject this proposal. Requiring outing of teens to parents is awful. Some kids come from homes where this will endanger their well-being.

If only given names must be used, will this apply to kids who use nick names or middle names or only if the preferred name is not if their “assigned” gender? Use of preferred name is core to identity and acceptance.

This proposal appears written to score political points with the governor’s base, and not for the support of kids. Be kind. Be considerate.


Model Policy 2022

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<p>I strongly support Governor Younkin's 2022 Model Policy.  We cannot sit idly by and allow the state to determine our children's education.    The society in which we live has lost the foundation of truth in education and gender.   We are more focused on ensuring children have the right to express their gender identity than we are on teaching our children math and science.    In a recent article Governor Younkin stated student's grades in math and science are "catastophic."   We need to be more focused on educatingour children in math, science, history, etc.  The 2021 Model Policy is yet another attempt to tear our society apart.  We must not allow this policy to stand.  I'm very thankful for Governor Youngkin, and his team.  This is the leadership that is necessary if we are going to set our ideals on things that truly matter for the future of our children.  </p>
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Support 100%


Students have free speech too

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Students, legally, have free speech can therefore can identify themselves as they wish. Furthermore, teachers, coaches, support staff, and administrators have a duty to report suspected violence, whether physical, mental, or emotional, against students to the proper authorities. Requiring school staff to misgender students, and by doing so, cause and instigate mental and emotional harm to their students, they are violating their duty to report.

We must give students the agency to identify themselves as they wish, and support students’ wishes whenever possible.


Protect trans kids

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Kids will be hurt because of this horrible legislation.

Protect Virginia’s trans kids.


100% support

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<p>The vast majority of parents love their children and do what is best for their children in all circumstances.  As Virginians we should be concerned about this movement which seeks to block parents from being involved in their children's lives.  Youngkin is standing up for a parents right to parent their kids! </p>


In Opposition

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In the Description of Proposed Guidance Document Changes, it is stated “educators and school leaders work to ensure that all students have an opportunity to receive a high-quality education. As a part of that work, educators strive to meet the individual needs of all students entrusted to their care, and teachers work to create educational environments where all students thrive.” As a parent and as a school-based mental health professional, I whole-heartedly agree with that statement. It is therefore dismaying to see the proposed changes that fundamentally contradict that goal - therefore, I strongly oppose the proposed 2022 Model Policies. I believe parents and caregivers love their children and want the best for them; however, parents are human and as such, are fallible. A transgender student, who has parents or caregivers that do not support that student’s identity, still deserves to receive a high-quality education. Acknowledging and using a student’s preferred name or preferred pronouns is the least we can do as educators to create a positive educational environment. There is abundant research that shows when transgender students do not have support of their identity, they are significantly more likely to have suicidal thoughts and/or actions. We know that students who are struggling with their mental well-being do not thrive and do not learn, so it is difficult to understand how the proposed changes would allow us as educators and school leaders to create an environment in which transgender youth have the opportunity to grow and develop along with their peers. Our transgender youth are part of the “all students” who have individual needs and have a right to be educated in a safe environment in which they can thrive.


OPPOSING THIS BILL IS VITAL TO THE SAFETY OF TRANS KIDS IN FAIRFAX

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<p>First off, this bill would affect some of my closest family and friends who happen to be trans, exposing them to even more dangers of being transgender in society. Trans kids need protection. They are already social outcasts due to being born into the wrong gender, as well as subjected to bullying, harassment, abandonment, and assault by others. Adding this bill would make them even more vulnerable by allowing students to be outed to their families, which could be potentially dangerous, as well as teachers to intentionally misgender them, causing gender dysphoria, which can lead to depression and even suicidal thoughts. This bill is extremely harmful and will significantly impact all the nonbinary and trans kids, especially those within unaccepting communities. </p>


Strong opposed to policy change

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<p>I strongly oppose restricting restroom access and sports participation for transgender and nonbinary students, require faculty and staff to “out” trans and nonbinary students to their parents, and prohibit teachers and staff from supporting trans students in a range of ways, including blocking them from using a student’s affirming name and pronouns. </p>


Family first and always

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


Strongly Oppose Model School Rules Change

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<p>The model school policies around teacher requirements toward trans youth restrict freedom of speech, require doing harm to children by mid-gendering them, and potentially put trans youth mental and physical health at risk if their home is not safe and their parents are informed of trans identities shared with a teacher in confidence. These are needless harms and can easily be avoided. Reject these proposed policies which restrict teacher speech and put our youth at risk. </p>


Support Children

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<p>This is not supportive and extremely harmful to LBGTQ children. </p>


Parents rights do not include control and dominance

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This policy affirms over and over again the idea of parents’ rights. In one case, the policy specifically says that parents have an inherent right to control their children. This is utterly absurd and incorrect. The rhetoric is extremely disturbing, especially as it places a higher value on adults’ comfort and values over the safety and security of children.
This policy only furthers the divide between teachers and parents that Covid era battles revealed. We should all be on the same team here and this policy isn’t it.
I would also like to point out that it is not an essential creed of the Christian faith to deny the existence of transgender people and identities. To suggest that calling someone a different name or referring to them as a different gender would violate core tenets of religious belief is disingenuous.


Oppose these policies

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Protect trans kids. I oppose these policies


Oppose this policy

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<p>This policy should be opposed, the data is clear that gender affirming care and acceptance socially saves lives. To dismiss this as some sort of agenda of conspiracy is down right insane. If we truly want to protect our children, and I mean all of our children we need to provide for them in all ways. Outright dismissing the existence of trans children and trans people only creates an environment of neglect and social outcast. We must love all our children of all shapes, all sizes, and all genders.  </p>


Strongly oppose

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The description speaks to giving compassion to all children, yet this is the opposite of compassion for transgender children. You already know the statistics about transgender children being significantly more likely to cause self-harm and suicide. Why do you think that is?  It is because of the lack of support they receive from ignorant adults. The vast majority of children really don’t find their transgender peers a threat to be discriminated against. Making a political issue that targets such a vulnerable population is disgusting.

As loving parent of a wonderful child, who happens to be transgender, I see the challenges they face. Removing the existing policies that make school a relatively safe environment is tantamount to punishment they do not deserve. Please consider how disenfranchising these students does not really solve anything other than perpetuate hateful political agendas. Please do not enact these changes and retain the existing guidance that all but one pathetic county has successfully embraced.


Trans Rights are Human Rights

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<p>Protect kids. Trans kids are just kids and should be supported. </p>


Support bc school is not a mental health hospital

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If “suicidal” is the argument then get the trans kid to a mental health facility. School is not the place to work these things out. School is the place to learn.


GOD LOVES TRANS PEOPLE


VA Proposed Policy for Transgender Students in Education System

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I adamantly oppose Youngkin’s new policy addressing transgender students in Virginia’s Educational system.  In fact, it is such a shameful policy that I hardly know where to begin!  First, the policy proposed by the Northam Administration was not perfect, but it was far superior to the current proposal.

Obviously, the pertinent legislation was researched (Constitutional Amendments, Sections from the Code of Virginia, Case Law, and other legal policies/documents).  But we all know these should be reviewed and possibly revised ASAP to reflect life in the 21st century.  Further, legislation can always be subject to conflicting interpretation…just ask the Civil Liberties Union.

Where is a list of people, and their area of expertise, who consulted/contributed to this new policy? For the most part, the political affiliation is obvious.  Were members of the LBGTQ+ and/or their parents included?

The new policy would have some transgender students miss athletic (and perhaps other) activities/opportunities, because it requires the student to participate on the team (and use the locker room) based on their birth certificate gender.

Next, where has Youngkin been living….in Camelot or some other fantastical place?  Recently, Youngkin told WUSA that if a child had a parent who was not understanding of their gender identity: “…I would say, trust your parents," Youngkin said. "At the moment where there are very difficult issues in families and challenging issues in families, families come together. And this is why parents in fact have a role in their children’s lives."  (Reported by WTVR)

Yes,  parents should have a role in their children’s lives.  But in reality, families do not always come together to resolve issues, as Youngkin seems to think, and this new policy seems to ignore that fact.  What happens when a student “comes out” to their parents and they are physically abused?  Or worse, they are expelled from their home?   How is that addressed in the policy?

Is anyone aware of the statistics for the transgender population? Surveys show that about 20% take their own lives, and at least a third report assault. NOTHING in the new policy makes their school environment more supportive to improve these statistics.

Must we always carve out a segment of our population to victimize because they are different and we have biases, we misunderstand, and we are ignorant?  Will we ever evolve to a level where we don’t intentionally marginalize another group of fellow humans?


The word of God says not to judge

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I am very disappointed to see Christians commenting and spreading hatred. The Bible says to spread love and not to judge. Jesus advocated for the downtrodden. He would not support a bill against respect. Trans people do not want to 'trans' you or your children. They just want respect.


Support Trans Children

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School must be a place where all children are welcome. Inclusive policies allow ALL children to be safe and protected. Please keep protections for trans children in place. All people matter and all people deserve to be respected. As the mother of a transgender teen and a teacher, I am appalled that teachers would not be able to call children by their preferred name and pronouns. That simple gesture goes a long way to provide an inclusive environment where students are free of anxiety and able to learn. Governor Youngkin, please choose kindness and inclusiveness over  judgement and exclusion.


Oppose

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It takes no effort to call someone by their preferred name. This is targeting a group of people and causing harm. Please keep their protection.


Strongly oppose - Virginians protect trans kids

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Here in Virginia we believe that every person has the right to their own name and pronouns—not the government or anyone else.

Stop this fascist aggression.

Get the hate out of our schools.

Protect trans kids. Protect LGBTQIA+ kids.

Margaret, mom in Charlottesville


Oppose

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<p>I oppose the governor’s guidance. More discrimination and less acceptance is never the answer. </p>


Support trans rights

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<p>Support trans rights </p>


i support this


leave listen to the students

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<p>this policy is reckless and harmful or the students of virginia. listen to their needs. do better for them. </p>


Support - detransitioner story

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Affirms her body was never the problem. Still so young she now regrets the efforts to detransition. Stories like hers are not being given any consideration and they should be. Parents are more likely to look at all perspectives with their child. The people screaming for trans rights have laser locked focus on their way only. The hateful mocking and rhetoric they spew when someone disagrees or changes their mind only affirms in my  mind how absolutely not trustworthy they are in the secrets they would choose to keep - from parents who may not get it all right All the time but I suspect will keep trying while advocTesmonly hang around while you live the life they think you should be living. And there’s a lot of manipulation in young kids. It’s not the school or govt job to influence.

gov


Absolutely support 100%!  Thanks for standing on the Word of God!


This is horrific!

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I support all kids in Virginia, and all kids includes transgender kids. I do not support the Governor’s policy. This goes against everything I believe education should be.  We should be growing in our understanding, acceptance, and inclusivity of all students.


Vehemently Oppose

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This proposal will have catastrophic implications for trans students in Virginia.


Strongly oppose

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This would be harmful to children.


Proposed 2022 Model Policies

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I oppose the proposed 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students. The proposal would prevent students from seeking certain types of counseling at school on a confidential basis, which is likely to discourage students from seeking counseling at school.  I am particularly concerned about the effect that these proposed Model Policies would have on transgender students, some of whom struggle with mental health challenges and thoughts of suicide.  All students deserve the informed guidance and compassionate counsel of trusted adults at school, which would be unnecessarily restricted under this proposal. My hope is a young person's parents are among the trusted adults in that person's life, but the plain fact is that this is not always the case. Often, children will turn to other relatives, educators at their church or other faith-based institution, and teachers and counselors at school who will maintain confidentiality. Implementing these proposed Model Policies would decrease the ability of school teachers and counselors to serve in that capacity.


I support the bill

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<p>I support the bill. If schools create bathrooms and other things so that male, female, and transgender all be in one it will create turmoil. Kids will get raped and so much confusion that will cost even more stress and problems. Kids will start to fear because of the problems it will cost within the schools and community. We have so much going on in this world that there's no need for us as a state to add to that. Let the parents make the decisions not the kids. Let us be more organized and set strong standards.  </p>


Trans people are not confused

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trans people are not confused. respect people


Strongly Oppose

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I want to go on the record as a Virginia resident, mother of two children (3.5 years old and 2 months old), and sister to a 15 year old trans youth that I strongly oppose Governor Youngkin's proposed policies. As a parent, I see these policies for what they really are - an effort to diminish the human rights of transgender and nonbinary youth in the Commonwealth and erase them from the classroom.

Transgender people across this country face violence every day for being who they are and Youngkin is extending this to the trans and non-binary children in our state. Trans youth should be accepted and protected by their parents, peers, teachers, and communities not denied and outed without their consent. Supporting trans youth is a lifesaving act and these proposed policies are counter to that.


Strongly Oppose Suggested Treatment of Transgender Students

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We should not open the doors for any child to be discriminated against in our public schools. This suggested rule reminds me of how, in the beginning, the Nazis treated Jews in their public schools. This is a very dangerous path to go down.


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STRONGLY OPPOSE the guidance. PROTECT TRANS RIGHTS


2022 Model Policies

Michelle Reid, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools

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Dear Sir or Madam,

Please accept the following comments of Fairfax County Public Schools on Governor Youngkin’s “2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools” (the “2022 Model Policies”).

On October 6, 2022, the Fairfax County School Board adopted a statement on the 2022 Model Policies. That statement reads as follows:

Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and non-binary youth attempted suicide in the last year. LGBTQIA+ youth who found their school to be affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide. It is necessary to ensure our school community is a place where all students can live without fear of prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or violence.

Our policies and regulations will continue supporting our transgender and gender-expansive students and their families. Fairfax County School Board Policy 1450 protects students, educators, and other staff from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Fairfax County Public Schools Regulation 2603 relies on robust parent/guardian engagement to help provide transgender and gender-expansive students with protections and supports. We will continue partnering with parents/guardians because their involvement is necessary to student success. Furthermore, our School Board is committed to following the Virginia Human Rights Act, Title IX's prohibition on gender identity discrimination, and the settled law of Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, 972 F.3d 586 (4th. Cir. 2020), which requires respect for students’ gender identity.

Protecting, supporting, and affirming our transgender, and gender-expansive students is critical to achieving a safe and respectful learning environment for all students, and providing them with equal access to educational programs, services, and activities. The work to do so in a holistically inclusive way continues, and we know that, from this commitment, we will not waiver.

While we support parent engagement, we do not support the implementation of the 2022 Model Policies. In addition to the problems outlined above, they also create uncertainty by citing to conflicting federal and state laws and would limit the rights of transgender and other gender-nonconforming students.

We respectfully request that you consider the harm that would be done by the imposition of the model policies and rewrite them to address the concerns outlined above.

Sincerely,

Michelle Reid, Superintendent


Shame on you supporters -- this is dangerous

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If you care so much about parental rights, go do something to protect children from being surveilled and criminalized in school. Go do something to protect the rights of trans and queer parents, the rights of disabled parents, the rights of single parents who can lose custody if they are struggling and turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. If you support this guidance and you think you are a safe and trustworthy adult to any child and young person in your life...think again!! Children need to be cherished WITHOUT JUDGMENT and you don't have to understand their identities to respect them.


Opposed - I support trans kids!

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<p>After witnessing my niece’s struggles I must speak out! Please give these kids the safe environment they need. Please give them the acceptance they deserve. </p>


STRONGLY OPPOSE- protect our children!!

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Who are we hurting? Who are we hurting? Your feelings? Lots of things hurt mine, sure, I’m a bleeding heart- everyone is. We all bleed the same. But I don’t go around actively enabling the abuse of children. That’s what this law will do. Stop killing us. Our lives are not politics, and our existence is not an opinion. We are here, and we won’t go away, no matter how hard you try to wipe us out. Let us coexist. It’s not that difficult.


Parents know best

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My parents taught me what each kid should be taught… love everyone no matter what.  You don’t have to love a decision that was made or how they dealt with a situation, but love the person.  Period!  At the same time, the Democratic/Trans agenda has gone too far.  Parents are the first line of support.  Hopefully they already know if there are issues with their kids, but if that is not the case the school should be notifying parents.  It’s incredibly dangerous when you have schools hiding information from parents or even school staff adding fuel to the fire of a kid who is vulnerable and confused.  So grateful we have a governor who has the backing of parents!


Strongly opposed


Protect trans kids

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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS. Protect trans kids. Those hateful politicians can fluff off


Oppose: Protect Trans Kids’ Lives

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I oppose the proposed policies by Governor Glenn Younkin limiting transgender rights in schools. As a transgender person who was in the Public School system only a year ago, I cannot express how much the current pro-trans policies regarding the right to self identify helped me and others around me. Before I was out at school I was miserable; the days were a fight to get through classes where I would be misgendered and deadnamed. I rarely participated in class, never felt safe in the halls, and at one point was driven to a suicide attempt. Once I was out, however, my school life improved in leaps and bounds. I no longer felt like the classroom was a battlefield where I would never feel truly at home. School became for me what it was for every cisgender child, a place where I was respected and treated like another kid. Without the policies allowing me to change my name, have my pronouns respected, and my existence understood, I would have continued to stay in the depressed state I was in before that was a danger to my very life.

I was only one kid, and a kid in a fairly liberal environment at that. My mother, who was at one point a High School teacher in Greene county, saw firsthand the struggles kids faced in less accepting environments. Without policies that help and protect them, trans kids-literally children-  are left alone, depressed, and struggling. These kids are not abstract concepts of ideology for people to fight over, they are not politically motivated, and they have not been corrupted; they are simply kids. If these policies are passed, their lives will be at risk, and I cannot stand for that. Therefore, I am opposed to them.


DO NTO SUPPORT THIS

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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS SHUT UP TRANSPHOBES


Strongly Oppose

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<p>I strongly oppose this. We should protect trans youth. Trans rights are human right! </p>


Please oppose this policy and keep kids safe from suicide and abusive parents

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Outing kids to parents can lead to severe emotional and even physical trauma. Keep kids safe from suicide and abusive households. Oppose this awful policy. Stand with trans people. We will fight for you. You are strong and brave. Prayers


Treatment of citizens

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<p>We must protect transgender & non-binary people, especially within our schools. No person chooses to be different, it is a difficult life. But every person deserves the same rights and fair treatment. Please allow these people to live without fear </p>


Fairfax County is required to obey the law.

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As a parent in Fairfax County, I am dismayed to hear that Fairfax County planning to vote to oppose what is Virginia law.  The law is the law.  If Fairfax County disagrees, then it should file a lawsuit or try to get the law changed.  Otherwise, Fairfax County needs to follow the law.  If our leaders in Fairfax County cannot follow the law, then how can we expect our kids and fellow residents to do the same?

I am also dismayed that Fairfax County thinks it is good or reasonable to oppose parental rights.  Parents have the legal responsibility to care for their children in the way they see best.  It is not the government's job to do so.  Fairfax County, you are wrong to think that you have my children's best in mind.  You do not.  I do.  So you do not get to withhold information about my children from me.  You do not get to tell my children to withhold secrets from me.  You do not get to change my child's gender from me.  You do not get to remove me from supporting my children's life, whatever he/she is going through.  Shame on you.

Please follow the law.  If you disagree with it, then follow the law until you change the law.

Thank you.


Strongly support

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Strongly support this, 100%!


STOP IT WITH THIS BULL  TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

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LISTEN TO US BITCHES HELP US KIDS ARE DYING BECAUSE OF YOUR NARROW MINDED  TENDENCIES


Absolutely support Youngkin's policy changes.

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Policy changes are correct and needed.


STRONGLY OPPPOSED

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trans kids are people too, stop taking away their rights. this is completely unwarranted and disgusting to witness as someone who is nonbinary. this bill is going to harm so many kids


I support the governor

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Thank you Governor Younkin for allowing parents to be involved in the guidance of the children that God has entrusted to them.


we are humans trans rights are human rights

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trans rights are human rights! we are humans! we are normal!


Oppose this policy; Support rights

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I have trans and nonbinary friends who will be hurt by these policies because they prioritize the parents over the youth we should be protecting. It costs us nothing to respect people's names and pronouns, but it makes other's lives so much better. Children/teenagers are people just as much as adults are and they deserve their right to privacy and the human rights that our government should be ensuring for them. I oppose outing students to their parents. I oppose taking away counseling and supportive systems for trans youth. I oppose being disrespectful of people's identities.


SAY IT WITH ME. TRANS! RIGHTS! ARE! HUMAN! RIGHTS! [OPPOSE]

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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS AND YOU'LL NEVER CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS

trans youth deserve to be treated as equal humans. if you can't understand this, get your brain checked. this is a transphobic policy. it needs to go.


STRONGLY OPPOSE

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help us kids are dying please dont kill more stand by the trans kids they just want to be themselves


parents do not own their kids

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<p>Your kid growing up and becoming independent of you is a very important step in their development. You might not agree with everything about them, but they at least deserve basic respect. Keep trans kids safe and OPPOSE THIS EVIL POLICY. </p>


Detransitioner story - support

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Hormones do irreversible damage. When she spoke up about her experience the trans community mocked her, spewed hate and rage at her. The same people who “loved her” as she pursued transition. SOCIAL CONTAGION bc played a large factor in her pursuing to transition in the first place. Those supporters should

not be able to decide to keep secrets from parents.


Strongly oppose

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<p>I strongly oppose the guidance </p>


we are real help us

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please so many kida are dying because of you dont make more


Strongly opposed


Trans rights


STRONGLY OPPOSE

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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS


Strongly oppose these disgusting policies

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<p>trans rights are human rights! </p>


Trans rights are human rights!!

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<p>Trans rights are human rights!! </p>


Strongly Support

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Gov. Youngkin is spot on with this policy change.


Supporting parental rights

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Thank you, Gov. Youngkin, for proposing policies that support students and their families. Parents have a right to know what is going on with their children at school,  and should not be viewed as adversaries to their own children's welfare.

Children and teens are vulnerable as they are forming their identities, and cutting parents out leaves them at greater risk of negative influence and poor choices.


The 2022 Model Policies Are Harmful

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<p>My name is Donnie McKinney, and I am speaking in my capacities as an educator in the state of Virginia, a former public K-12 Virginia student, and a friend and ally to friends of mine who are transgender, which is why I oppose strongly the 2022 model policies. These friends, and many more transgender students in the commonwealth that I have lived in my entire life will be hurt by these policies. I know friends now in my University classes that have suffered greatly by professors not using gender affirming pronouns. It is a small ask that means a lot to be in a learning community that cares about students. The language of the model policies define transgender students with the word "belief," which is flat out incorrect and does not accurately depict how someone's gender is not a choice, with which the academic and scientific community are in agreement. The dress codes in the model policies are also problematic as they would allow for certain school districts to prohibit gender affirming clothing by labeling it as "distracting." The most disheartening part of the 2022 model policies as a Virginian citizen, however, was the removal of resources included in the policy for transgender students. There were none. The only resources included were those about bullying, and, even then, the number of resources for students, parents, schools, and teachers decreased significantly. Ignoring transgender students like this will not make them go away, and schools need to have access to helpful resources that will allow them to better understand their transgender students so that they can be better educators for them. The removal of resources for transgender students shows a lack of any commitment to them, and instead shows purposeful ignorance, which makes me thoroughly ashamed to be a Virginian citizen and woefully misrepresented in my government. </p>


Parental rights!!!!!!

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<p>Protecting the parents right is protecting the children! </p>


we are human

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TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTSTRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS


keep trans kids safe and prevent suicide

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This policy will not keep kids safe, but rather put them in danger. Trans kids are already at a high risk to commit suicide. We must work to prevent this. Give trans people basic human respect. Treat others as you would want to be treated. I'm sure Glenn expects people to use his pronouns and would be offended if someone used she/her for him. And if he doesn't want to be called Glenny then we ing dont do it.


These changes will only harm kids

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<p>I am writing to you as an 11th grade student. I strongly oppose the changes proposed as they only harm students in the long run. Kids are more capable than what people give us credit for, we are capable of knowing ourselves and what we want. Regarding the changes affecting queer students, I believe all, and I mean ALL, students in Virginia deserve the right to choose when to come out to their parents, if they choose to. Schools have no place making that decision for them. In my own experience, being able to come to terms with my identity and having a supportive environment before telling any of the adults in my life was key to me being truly sure of what I wanted and allowed me to figure out how to express myself, everyone deserves to have that. </p>


Protections for Trans Youth

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I am writing to voice my concerns and opposition to the proposed 2022 "Model policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools".  In the interests of full disclosure, I am the parent of a 16 year old transgender student who struggles with gender dysphoria and related anxiety and depression that is particularly heightened in circumstances where he is misgendered or not addressed by his new legal name.  As parents we are very supportive of him, yet it even so it was difficult for him to "come out" to us.  For any teenager or adolescent, the feeling of support and acceptance from loved ones, especially parents, is integral to their sense of safety and worth.  Not all adolescents who are struggling with their gender identity are fortunate enough to have understanding and supportive parents and the fear of potential rejection and anger from parents is often devastating and debilitating to these young members of our community.  In such cases, having the knowledge that the student can confide in their classmates, teachers and/or school counselors can do wonders to help them feel worthy, help them explore their gender identity in safe space and build confidence in themselves such that they find the tools  to share their feelings and identity with their family in a way that does not incite negative feelings.  The proposed policies that would require school staff to notify parents of a student's transgender status in all situations even when the student has not shared this information yet with their parents puts the mental and physical health of those students at significant risk and will have devastatingly negative impacts upon their relationships with their parents, family, peers, teachers and school staff as well upon their ability to perform to their best potential academically.

The proposed policies also direct school staff to only refer to the student using pronouns that apply to the gender assigned at birth and not preferred pronouns appropriate to the student's identified gender unless a legal gender change has been obtained.  This policy will also have devastatingly negative impacts upon transgender students and upon their relationships with peers, teachers and staff.  The process for obtaining a legal gender change requires submission of a letter (form) from one's medical professional confirming "receipt of clinically appropriate treatment for gender transition".   Clinically appropriate treatment for gender transition is not easily available to most adolescents in Virginia for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which being that it is very difficult to access such treatment due to limited access to 1) affordable healthcare, 2) to physicians and other licensed health care providers qualified to provide such treatment, and 3) qualified mental health care providers (counselors, therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists) whose participation in the patients care is required for gender affirming medical care.   We have found it extremely challenging to find the above for our transgender son and we are definitely supportive of him and his transgender journey, financially capable of providing him access to these health care specialists in addition to being fortunate enough to have very reliable health insurance.  There is a definite shortage of these medical professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia making it very difficult for the most fortunate of our citizens to access gender affirming healthcare let alone those who do not have the luxury of good health insurance policies, transportation and other resources.  To deny a student the right to be referred to by the gender to which they identify if it is not the one assigned at birth unjustly and unfairly discriminates against those who are poor and uninsured.


PROTECT TRANS KIDS

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all children deserve to feel supported and loved! trans kids are no exception!


I support this policy

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I feel the policy is well written and I am fully in support of it.  We should do our best to help children that are experiencing gender confusion.  And the best way to support them is through parental support and not through deception or leaving the parents out of the process.  A parent knows there children best and they have the right to be involved in every aspect of a child’s life.  I had a teenager that hid issues from me and was counseled by another adult in ways that I would not have supported.  My daughter had severe issues that resulted in almost a decade of social and mental health issues because I was never informed of her struggles.   This was not a transgender issue.  She would have benefited from counseling and also our love and support.

I agree accommodations need to be made for students that have gender confusion but the rights or beliefs of teachers and other students should not be sacrificed or be made to be uncomfortable having to accommodate transgender students.


Support 1000%

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<p>Thank you, Governor, for caring about our children so deeply.   I want my grandchildren to be safe, to be able to compete with students of their same sex in athletics , and not be indoctrinated by liberal educators to shape their minds contrary to parents wishes. </p>


Every child deserves respect

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<p>Please protect trans and non binary students. They are people worthy of a healthy and aligned life as much as any other person. Outing them and othering them will further perpetuate the likelihood of depression and suicide. If you want schools to be safe for all students, here is your chance. </p>


Oppose Younkin’s Proposal

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Providing gender affirming care, saves lives. We have qualified personnel in schools to assist families while they navigate complex matters such as identifying as a youth who is transgender or non-binary. It is not our duty in public education to enforce our political or spiritual beliefs on others, but rather to meet students/families where they are and hopefully work with them to become happy, healthy, and productive members of society. Safety is a top priority in schools and mental health is key to safety for the entire school community. If we alienate students, only bad outcomes occur. If we create discord between students’ and their parents, bad outcomes (such as youth homelessness, abuse, suicide, and homicide) occur. This proposed policy does not respect the dignity and identity of the students we serve and will only create greater divide between school and home, rather than fostering a community of care.


Oppose

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<p>40% of trans kids kill themselves. Prepare for funerals. </p>


Strong Opposition

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It is the responsibility of the Virginia public schools to support its students, and that means ALL students, not just choosing ones who fit into specific categories and slighting the rest. It is disappointing and a disgrace to see our school system shift backwards in history to take away from the rights of our student body. Outright refusal to support students in this way should not be tolerable, let alone encouraged by our government. There is no reason for this policy except to infringe on the rights of trans youth.


oppose this policy

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trans rights are fricking human rights


Strong oppose this new "guidance"

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The 2021 model policies were designed to protect students and create a safe and inclusive learning environment. These new proposed 2022 guidelines are intentionally vague and will allow rampant discrimination against transgender and non-binary identifying youth. As a mental health professional, it is critical and developmentally appropriate to allow youth to explore their identities in a safe and protected environment. These proposed new guidelines are a huge step back, and are based in fear and ignorance.


Children are confused and are being abused

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The transgender community as a whole are, for the most part, formerly abused children. Many were abused by what at first may seem to be benign ways. A male child may say, "I'm a girl." Or a little girl may say, "I'm a boy." But what people who support transitioning children who make such statements do not understand is children have always said those things. Children are too impressionable to be encouraged in these fantasies. A child does not understand the repercussions of the mutilation of their little bodies. Parents need to protect their children from both themselves and those who would prey upon them. Even at the age of 18 human beings still have brains which are not fully developed and need another 5-7 years to fully mature. Therefore parents must help their children along the way to maturity or the children will be in danger from those who wish to push an agenda that only wants to kill, mutilate, and destroy a child's future.


Department of Education- Guidance Document

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Support the 2022 Model to replace the 2021 policy.


Kids aren't mature

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Kids aren't mature enough to make potentially life altering decisions. I support trans rights, but as a parent, I'd rather not have it force fed down my kids throats.

Keep them safe, sure. But let's do our part in letting them remain safe and innocent from the world for as long as possible


Equality Virginia is using "stuff-the-ballot-box" mechanisms to skew the results. See link.

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https://www.familyfoundation.org/blog/19ibvx2bzizv8ovhy7qnqlrbtxu9sd


Christians have rights too

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I fully support this bill. Just because individuals decide to live their lives contrary to the norm, it does not mean they can thrust their lives into my own personal space. I do not want my child to have his privacy violated because someone has chosen to do something that is against nature. I don’t think we should have to make any provisions for someone who has made the decision to mutilate his or her body because they feel they have the right to.


Strong Oppose This Harmful Policy

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<p>This is not about parent’s rights.  This is about the safety of LGBTQIA+ children.  This is not taking into consideration their mental health or providing them a safe place to be themselves.  I don’t think this policy is necessary.  In fact I think if it is enforced real harm and distress could befall LBTQIA+ children.  Their mental health could decrease and suicides could increase.  The safety net for this marginalized group needs to stay intact in schools.  </p>


Strongly Support the Revised 2022 Model Policies

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I fully support the revised 2022 model policies because they prioritize the preeminent role of parents in the lives of our minor children. The revised policies make it clear that no policy, guidance, or other written material issued by the school may encourage or instruct teachers to conceal key information about a student from the student's parent, including information about gender and sexuality issues. The revision emphasizes that parents must be informed and given an opportunity to object before their child is counseled regarding gender. I strongly support the updated language that acknowledges students and teachers cannot be forced into compelled speech that violates their constitutional rights, including First Amendment and religious freedom protections. Schools are empowered to make their own decisions on how to best protect children when it comes to locker rooms, bathrooms or overnight sleeping quarters for field trips instead of being pressured to allow any male to to enter a female private space for any reason. Thankfully, the language also protects athletic opportunities for our female students. I urge you to finalize the revised 2022 model policies as written.


We strongly oppose this policy

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Richmond Southerners on New Ground (SONG) opposes the Youngkin administration’s proposed “model policy” for transgender students. SONG is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South. SONG’s Richmond formation includes former students of Virginia’s public schools, as well as current and former teachers and family members of students at public schools across the Commonwealth.

As written, the model policy subjects trans students to significant harm by:

Exposing them to verbal and/or physical abuse within their households

Increasing the likelihood that they will become unhoused, isolated, and vulnerable to other forms of abuse

Requiring them to produce unnecessary medical and other documentation, thereby violating their privacy

Targeting them for additional scrutiny and bullying by their peers and by school staff and administration, i.e. the very adults whose jobs are to ensure student safety

In addition, the draft model policy also fails teachers by preventing them from doing what they know to be in their students’ best interests, and instead forcing them to “out” students to families that they know would not support their child.

Contrary to VDOE’s claims, the proposed model policy would detract from the parental rights of the parents of trans youth and create an undue paperwork burden for them to support their own children.

In conclusion, Richmond SONG strongly opposes the 2022 Draft Model Policy and recommends that VDOE not only rescind this policy but also reinstate the 2021 Model Policy, which meets the bare minimum standard of protecting trans students in public schools.


Transphobic Nonsense

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You are trying to strip away the rights of children who are already going through a confusing and difficult time in their childhood which is the journey of self-identification. The first amendment gives clear freedom to express oneself, and as a government official, teachers cannot deny or abridge a student's right to be who they wish to be.


Transgender Student Policy

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One of the policies that Governor Youngkin touted was Zero Tolerance for Discrimination. Looks good on paper but the reality for transgender students is that he really didn’t mean it.  Plus the courts have said that discrimination based on sexual identity is unlawful—not to mention cruel. I strongly oppose implementing this policy!


Strongly Opposed

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The policy needs to be informed by caring for the children rather than put them at risk if parents do not accept them for who they are as human beings irregardless of ideology and religion. We must protect children from harm. The suicide rate among children that belong to the LGBTQIA+ community is much higher than compared to peers. Requiring parental involvement when parents are not supportive of their child is dangerous and life-threatening. Schools are often said to be the safest place for children. Let's work on that rather than open up the door to subjecting our children to mental health issues, bullying, substance abuse, conflict with parents and possible death.


I oppose this policy

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<p>As a parent with three students in Virginia Public Schools, I oppose this new policy. I believe it’s a dereliction of duty when a sitting governor uses our students as props to advance his own political agenda and aspirations for higher office. </p>


oppose

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supprt trans kids don't make them kill themselves


Strongly opposed

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This policy will hurt the transgender community because it creates the possibility that a school will out transgender students to parents. It should be up to students to disclose this information to their parents because some families may not react well and this could put transgender children in harms way.


Oppose

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<p>The reality is children in loving, healthy families are going to tell their parents they are trans. If a child does not feel safe, its not the government’s job to endanger them further.  I have personally seen the tragic consequences - one child dead from suicide and another attempted suicide and had to be hospitalized.  If parents focus on a loving home life, their need for this policy becomes unnecessary - government can’t fix poor familial relationships for them.  And filling out forms for nicknames?  That is just bureaucratically silly. </p>


OFF GLENN

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<p>students should be allowed basic decency such as being called their preferred name and pronouns. trans kids will be put in danger by being sent to the wrong bathroom. trans people are not predators. </p>


Strongly support 100%

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Thank you Gov Youngkin for protecting parents rights to be involved in parenting their children!


Trans Children Are Children And They Deserve Rights

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<p>Trans kids are just kids. They need love and support. What they don't need is politicians and teachers disrespecting their identities and telling them that their exsistence is wrong and bad. </p>


Opposition to VDOE newly proposed transgender policy

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I strongly opposed the proposed transgender policy from the VDOE.  As a Christian and a Virginia voter I believe that the proposed policy is detrimental to the wellbeing of Virginia students.   Adoption of the policy will result in great harm both physically and mentally to the the transgender youth in the commonwealth..

I am in favor of the current model policy from 2021 and recommend its continued use throughout Virginia.  It seems to be based on the best practices for accommodating our transgender youth and will result in a more equitable and respectful treatment of this important and precious segment of our society.


STRONGLY OPPOSE- Protect Trans Kids

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I am the mother of one current Virginia public school student, and one soon-to-be Virginia public school student.  I want my children and all of their friends to be safe in our schools, which means having their gender identities respected and protected.  I vehemently oppose the proposed policy, which, with the purported goal of "protecting" parental rights, instead strips parents of the right to see their kids protected and respected in their own schools.

My kids are young: in kindergarten and preschool.  But even they understand that one of the ways we respect other people is to address them by the names and titles they want to be called.  They understand that calling people names they don't want to be called is a type of bullying.  These are basic kindergarten values.

As far as I know, my kids are cisgender.  But they have trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming peers and adults whom they love.  They know that trans girls are girls, and trans boys are boys, and that not everyone fits neatly into a single gender presentation.  It's horrifying to think that my kids might have to bear witness to their own school teachers and administrators bullying their friends by calling them by the wrong names or the wrong pronouns, or forcing them to use the wrong bathrooms or forbidding them from playing on sports teams that correspond to their gender.  Obviously, that bullying is far more devastating for those trans kids themselves.  How can my kids feel safe and supported in school when the people who are supposed to be trusted adults in their lives are forced to engage in state-mandated bullying of vulnerable children?

And make no mistake, trans kids are one of the absolute most vulnerable populations in our community.  Trans children face disproportionately high rates of suicidal ideation and attempt, discrimination and harassment, and homelessness and housing instability.  Trans kids trying to live their lives are not a problem in our schools.  Transphobia and discrimination are.

This policy will hurt kids.  It will hurt schools and it will hurt families.  It is driven by shameless, overt bigotry and transphobia.  It certainly appears to be contrary to federal and state antidiscrimination law (and is therefore a shameful waste of Virginians' tax dollars as the administration fights legal battles over a policy it knows to be illegal).  It is abhorrent to anyone with any sense of decency.  I vehemently oppose it.


Strongly Oppose

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I strongly oppose the 2022 Model Policies. Transgender youth have a very high risk of suicidal ideation. A sense of belonging at school can help mitigate that risk. A welcoming school environment is especially important in lessening suicidal ideation in students who do not feel supported in coming out to their parents. Virginia schools’ first priority should be supporting their students no matter what name and pronouns they choose.


I oppose this.

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This is plain wrong. Targeting an already vulnerable group? The mental health and lives of many people are on the line. Studies have shown that people who are allowed to use their preferred names and pronouns are over 33% less likely to attempt suicide. As a trans female myself, this policy will change my life for the worse. He’s trying to make a more inclusive environment, but this will do the exact opposite of that. This is discrimination and segregation all over again. Not to mention, the first amendment allows us freedom of religion. This is forcing religion on us. According to Virginia’s Human Rights Act § 2.2-3900, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to “Safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions and in real estate transactions;”. Youngkin’s policy is violating the Human Rights Act. There are other things we should be worrying about instead! We should be trying to reduce gun violence or better yet, criminalize discrimination of any of these protected statuses.


Strongly Support Parental Rights & Gov Youngkin's Revised Policies

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Parents are the primary care givers for their children.  Schools and school personnel answer to the parents and should not be allowed to act on their own or in compliance with policies that thwart the parents’ rights to care for their children especially since most children in FCPS are under 18 years of age.

All Americans have Constitutional rights to “the freedom of speech” (First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution).  We also have “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (The Declaration of Independence).  American citizens have the right to vote (Amendment XIX) when they are “eighteen years of age or older” (Amendment XXVI).

The expectation for schools is to teach the standard subjects like math (addition & subtraction, multiplication & division, algebra, trig, calculus), science (biology, chemistry, geology), reading (phonics!), writing (grammar and composition), history (the truth and facts! And why we are a republic!  Why socialism has failed everywhere it was tried), and the arts (music, dance, theater, drawing, sculpting, etc.).

Parents should be notified of their children’s courses of study, their advancement, the texts used, and the books recommended.

The parents should be determining the direction of their children’s education with advice from the teachers.

The parents should determine their children’s sexual education and be informed of whatever avenues their children are taking without the teachers’ influence.

If children are taught about topics that the teachers deem questionable or different than those the teachers want to teach, no matter what, the parents should be informed and permitted to opt out of whatever courses or classes they deem unacceptable for their children.  In my children’s FCPS schools they were taught about conservative and liberal ideas.  At least in one class, one of my children was made to determine their score and stand in front of the whole class lined up as conservative to liberal based on their responses to a questionnaire – this is NOT acceptable and certainly not necessary.  Another of my children was forced to turn their t-shirt inside out because a teacher, not even their teacher in a class, saw them in the hall and refused to let them go to class because they claimed the statement they were wearing was offensive to some people; yet, other students wore statements on the other end of the spectrum and nothing was done – this too is NOT acceptable and not equitable.

I support Gov Youngkin’s revised school policies that

Restore protections for basic parental rights and ensure that parents are not cut out of the process of handling their children especially on gender and sexuality issues.

Removes language encouraging school officials to deceive parents about their children considering potentially life-altering decisions regarding their gender identity.

Encourages communication between parents and their child.

Supports students’ and teachers’ First Amendment free speech and religious freedom Constitutional rights.

Supports school policies that best protect children especially students having to dress in locker rooms and having to stay in overnight sleeping areas for school field trips and band or music trips.

Supports comprehensive bullying policies to ensure a safe environment for students while still respecting the rights of all students such as addressing bathroom and privacy issues on a case by case basis and not via a one-size-fits-all policy that pressures schools to treat all districts and communities the same.

Thank you for updating policies that address the concerns listed above.

Please finalize Gov Youngkin’s revised policies as written without removing any of the key protections to restore parental involvement in the process and protect children’s privacy and safety rights.  These revised policies make clear that

Educators should not be instructed how to deceive parents – no policy, guidance, or other written material issued by the school may encourage or instruct teachers to conceal key information about a student from the student’s parent, including information about gender.

Parents must be informed and given an opportunity to object before counseling regarding gender is given to their children.

Schools should make decisions on how to best protect the children in areas like locker rooms or overnight sleeping areas for field trips where students can be in a state of undress instead of the schools being pressured to allow any male to enter a female private space for any reason AND the parents should be notified of these policies and whenever a breakdown or infraction of these policies occurs.

Athletic opportunities for female students are protected using appropriate language in these updated policies.

Schools cannot constitutionally compel employees or students to speak words that violate their faith or conscience.

Thank you for accepting and implementing Gov Youngkin’s revised policies.


Strongly opposed


Strongly support!

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<p>Children do not belong to the state. Parents are their primary educators and have a right to protect their children for insane and harmful ideologies. </p>


Strongly support to help vulnerable children

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Patents need to be informed of the struggles their children are having. The old policy brings division and confusion.


protect trans youth

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trans kids already experience higher rates of suicide and depression than their cisgender peers. this will only make that worse, and will result in kids being outed to their potentially transphobic families, and could be kicked out of their homes with no financial support. we deserve to be recognized and respected, and not to be endangered by policies like this. please do not support this policy.


New Pro Parent Policies

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I support 100% restoring the role of parents in public education .


Strongly Oppose the Proposed Policies

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As an educator, I strongly oppose the proposed guidance document. There is no empirical evidence backing the 2022 guidance document and statistically, the implementation of the new guidelines will result in a significant harm to youth.

In 2020, the Virginia Department of Education convened a committee of experts to compile the Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. These policies were guided by scientific evidence to promote safe and inclusive learning environments for our most vulnerable youth. These polices are compliant with nondiscrimination laws, protect student privacy, and promote the physical and mental wellbeing of transgender youth.

As I scroll through these comments in an attempt to understand why anyone would support them, I continuously see comments about the bathroom. Transgender youth do not harm cisgender youth. Not on the playground, not in the classroom, not in the bathroom. In fact, transgender and nonbinary youth whose schools prevent them from using the restrooms/locker rooms that best matched their gender identities were significantly more likely to have been sexually assaulted; this risk is 149% greater for transgender females (Murchison et al., 2019).

Refusing to use a child's pronouns is cruel and a fast track to increasing the risk of suicide. Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all or most people in their lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected (The Trevor Project, 2020). Why would we implement a policy that will result in youth attempting suicide?

Transgender youth have an increased risk of homelessness and housing instability, reporting parental abuse due to their identity as a primary factor (The Trevor Project, 2022). In fact, they have an increased risk of nearly every condition associated with poor mental health and educational outcomes, from child abuse, to poor health outcomes due to lack of participation in physical activity, to the onset and worsening of mental health conditions, bullying, and suicide. And it is pure ignorance to assume that every parent will support their child. Simply scrolling through the almost 70,000 public comments proves this point. Please pay attention to all of the hate, vitriol, and discrimination, this is why our youth need protection.

Lastly, these policies seem to violate the Virginia Human Rights Act, Virginia Code § 22.1-23.3., the Virginia Values Act, and Title IX. How are they legal? Why would Virginians do this to transgender youth when we have sound policies in place to protect our most vulnerable population? Moreover, why would anyone in education want to harm kids? As educators, we are charged with placing our personal values aside to do what is best for students. No matter what your personal beliefs are, the proposed policies are the opposite of best practice. If implemented, these policies will deliberately hurt youth and have irrevocable long term consequences, including suicide. As a longtime resident, educator, and voter in Virginia, I am appalled.


As a future parent in PWCPS I strongly support this

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Parents without the means to pay for private schooling are compelled by law to place their children in the care of public schools. Lacking choice, it is vitally important that parents be able to trust the school system their children are placed in. Whether an individual agrees with it on a personal level or not, the major Abrahamic faiths teach that there are only two genders/sexes and they are assigned at birth ("male and female He created them"). To compel parents to place children in a school system which actively discourages this belief amongst their children is against the Virginia constitution (Section 11). Parents deserve better than to have their children indoctrinated with a belief system completely at odds with their own religion.

The school system should be a neutral, areligious, apolitical force here. It should be equipped to handle families of all creeds, including both those who do and don't choose to encourage gender fluidity in their children. Nobody is asking that transgender students be discriminated against, only that parents be kept in the loop and the school system (as a necessary and oftentimes compulsory extension of child rearing) not operate contrary to parental wishes where possible. This model policy walks that line well, and is a great example showing how compromise between two different extremes can be achieved in a well formed democracy.


KEEP TRANS PEOPLE SAFE


Strongly oppose

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You must protect individuals in public settings, including schools, from discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Gender identity is not an ideology. Religion is, though.


Support this 100%

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I support the parental policies 100%.


Protect Trans and NB Youth

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<p>Please give children the chance to express themselves. The school must be a safe space. Protect Trans and NB youth. </p>


Model 2022 policy I supoort

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Model 2022 policy I support. Keep family involved in what happening at school.


Strongly oppose

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I strongly oppose this proposal. All children in Virginia deserve respect, dignity, and a comfortable learning environment; this proposal would require teachers to violate their students' human rights on a daily basis.

The Supreme Court holds that discrimination against transgender people is illegal discrimination on the basis of sex. As such, this proposal violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and as well as § 22.1-23.3(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia, which calls for model policies to address "prevention of and response to bullying and harassment" - not perpetuate them.

Additionally, the proposal clearly violates § 22.1-23.3(A) of the Code of Virginia, which calls for model policies to be in accordance with evidence-based best practices. Current best practices are recognized by doctors, scientists, educators, and other experts as those in the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) "Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People."

The Standards of Care call for practices including:

"Use of the youth’s asserted name/pronouns"

"Communications that are supportive when youth express their experiences about their gender and gender exploration"

"Positive and supportive communication with youth about their gender and gender concerns"

"Support for gender diverse youth to connect with communities of support (e.g., LGBTQ groups, events, friends)"

Each of these evidence-based best practices is violated by the proposed policy. Please protect kids and reconsider this deeply flawed, offensive, and illegal policy.


Support the Gov'nah (Don't Let the Adult Troglodytes continue to harm the kids)

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I strongly support the Governor. The nasty practice of promoting the stripping of kid's dignity by changing the beautiful way they were individually created needs to stop. Kids are perfect the way they are made. They do not need to change to something other than their biological sex to be okay. "Woke" adults need to stop interfering in the healthy mental development of children. The adults who support such things are gross groomers. Those adults are have the same blood running through their veins as Dr. Mengele and should be treated by society as the the disciples of Dr. Mengele that they are.


Strongly Oppose

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I strongly oppose these policies


Opposed to moving backwards

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Transgender individuals are a vulnerable population at a significantly increased risk of suicide. A simple way to support a transgender individual is to acknowledge and respect who they are and their decision to disclose their identity when and with him they choose. To put up barriers to a transgender child making that choice and attempting to regulate it is a mistake and very likely to further increase the risk of suicide and that child.

The current policy respects the rights of transgender children just as it does cis-gender children and the name or nickname and pronouns that they go by.

If this new policy were implemented, what would you say to the transgender child who is fearing rejection and unsupported by their family? What would you tell them when they are forced to have difficult conversations before they are ready? Or when they are not called by the name or pronouns that describe them because their parents would not approve it? What would you tell them when they are contemplating ending their life because no one will recognize who they are?


opposed

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i am strongly opposed to this bill


I fully agree and support Youngkin's updated policies.

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Gov. Youngkin is correct to update the policies.

Schools need to fully support Youngkin's policy changes.


COMPLETELY SUPPORT 100% GOV. YOUNGKIN'S POLICY

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Governor Youngkin's new revised 2022 model polices return the love, medical and mental care of minor children BACK TO THE PARENTS!  Where it naturally belongs.

Those who are thrown into histrionics over this fact are removed from common sense.  It is just plain unnatural that there are those who would seek to separate children lovingly birthed and raised by their mothers, from their mothers/parents.

The previous 2021 model policy of the former administration sought to unnaturally separate the intrinsic bond between mom and child and to punish parents from speaking up.  This was utterly wrong and misguided to endeavor to break the natural bond and to suppress parents from protecting their children.

NO school administration, NO school board and NO violent, enraged other-feeling individuals/teachers have the justification to break that bond and to intimidate, harass parents.

Schools have forgotten the bread and butter of their state-licensed profession - to educate.  Return to reading, writing, math and science.  That's your job.

Anything outside of that is OUR JOB - THE PARENTS.

Thank you Gov. Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Sears and AG Miyares!  Promises Made, Promises Kept.


Strongly oppose

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I think these kids have no idea what they want, and the push with the media, social media , schools etc. Opens up a lot of confusion. God doesn't make mistakes,  you were in fact born with the gender that you truly are. Kitty litter boxes in schools, boys or girls in the wrong bathroom of their original gender is unacceptable for school age kids, after high school let them decide who or what they choose.


Model 2022 policy, I support

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I support model policy for 2022. Keep mom and dad connected to what happening at school.


Parent VEHEMENTLY opposes

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This proposal is horrific and is the opposite of supporting children. Suicide is a leading cause of death for young people, and LGBTQ youths are four times more likely to attempt to attempt suicide. Cultivating a school environment where they are safe and supported - especially if their home environment is not - is not only crucial to their ability to learn and grow, but may be essential to their survival as well.

Addressing someone by their preferred name or pronouns doesn’t require any sort of belief, just basic respect for other people. If teachers and school officials want students to respect them, then they should be prepared and expected to extend this courtesy to students.

The 2021 policies enacted by Gov. Northam should be left in place. The new “model policies” as designed do nothing by strip privacy, dignity, and respect for transgender children. It’s simple intolerance made even crueler by masquerading as support.


I strongly oppose this.

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I strongly oppose this.


STRONGLY SUPPORT PARENTAL RIGHTS

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Please don’t undermine a parent’s ability to provide the love and guidance so needed by his or her child struggling with identity issues.  Please do not allow a school administrator or teacher to deceive that parent by not revealing to the parent that his or her child wants to be known by a different name or pronoun.  Please do not allow a school administrator or teacher to provide so-called “gender affirming” emotional care without the parent’s permission.  Please focus on all children’s needs to flourish academically in a school community that works in concert with parents.