Virginia students have taken to the streets in a passionate protest against the state’s Department of Education, condemning the recent anti-transgender school policies enforced by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Student-Led Protest
The protest, organized by the student-led organization known as the Pride Liberation Project, sent a resounding message against policies they’ve dubbed the “Don’t Be Trans” guidelines.
Governor Youngkin’s policies have sparked outrage among students and advocates for transgender rights.
Under these directives, transgender students are banned from using restrooms corresponding to their chosen gender, schools are mandated to disclose a student’s transgender status to their parents, and administrators must defer to parents on matters related to students’ names, nicknames, and pronouns, as well as other aspects of their transition within the school.
The Controversial Directives
These policies have placed Virginia in a growing list of U.S. states, yielding to the Republican-backed parental rights movement.
While supporters argue for parental involvement in education, critics assert that these measures infringe upon students’ rights to privacy, freedom of speech, expression, and, most importantly, their safety.
The “Don’t Be Trans” policies, officially enacted by Youngkin’s administration this summer, have provoked a wave of dissent among students.
“Forced Back into the Closet in Schools”
On September 22, outside the Virginia Department of Education headquarters, more than 40 students came together, raising their voices in unison with chants like “VDOE, let us be!”
One student protester pointed out the potential dangers these policies pose to transgender youth.
“We’re going to be forced back into the closet in schools we thought were safe, we’re going to be forced off of our school sports teams and forced out of the bathrooms we want to use,” he said. “We will be bullied and dead-named, as is promoted in these policies.”
Governor Defends of the Policies
In response, a spokesperson for Governor Youngkin, Macaulay Porter, defended the policies, stating, “The guidelines make it clear that when parents are part of the process, schools will accommodate the requests of children and their families.”
He emphasized the importance of treating students with compassion and creating a bullying-free school environment.
Supporters of the policies took to X (Twitter) to rally against the protest.
One user passionately gave their view, “It’s not “outing” a student when the path for trans is social transitioning followed up by experimental drugs and mutilating surgeries. Parents have a right to know when their kid is struggling. It’s isn’t the schools purpose to hide this.”
Lawsuit Against School Board
Youngkin’s anti-trans policies were introduced as a model for school boards in Virginia.
While individual school boards have the responsibility to implement their own policies, some left-leaning boards have already declared their intent not to comply with Youngkin’s directives.
However, the battle over these policies is far from over.
The Virginia Beach School Board, for instance, is facing a lawsuit from two local parents who insist on the adoption of Youngkin’s policies despite the board’s vote against them.
Aiming to Restore Parental Involvement
Governor Youngkin, in interviews, has expressed his belief that these policies are not “controversial” and aim to restore parental involvement in education.
He argued that the previous administration’s policies excluded parents and that decisions regarding students should include parental input.
Last year, when Youngkin first announced the “Don’t be trans” policies, students from nearly 100 schools across Virginia staged walkouts in protest.
Presidential Support for Student Walkouts
They gained support from President Joe Biden, who stood by their side.
Despite this strong pushback from students and advocates, Youngkin’s administration has pressed on with these divisive policies, prompting concerns about the welfare and rights of transgender students.
The recent protest in Virginia serves as a reminder that students are determined to have their voices heard.
As the debate over these policies rages on, one thing remains clear: the fight in American schools is far from over.
The post “Forced Back into the Closet’ – Students Rise Against “Don’t Be Trans” Policies – With Biden’s Support first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Bob Korn
Source: The Pink News