Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has directed public schools to help parents shield their children from transgender advocacy.
The new guidelines require all state-funded schools to abide by the names and pronouns listed on students’ official birth records unless parents submit a written request asking otherwise, according to a report by msn.com.
Additionally, schools are mandated to ensure that students participate in the athletic program and use facilities — such as restrooms and locker rooms — that correspond with their biological sex.
Parents are reportedly allowed to “opt-out” if they want their child to have access to a separate facility, such as a single-user restroom.
Pastor Staci Imes finishes putting sunscreen on Gus Fitzpatrick-Imes before the annual Seattle Pride Parade, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Notably, the guidelines also prohibit schools from hiding information about students from their parents. For example, schools are now forbidden from allowing teachers to conceal a student’s gender confusion from their parents.
“All children in Virginia deserve to have a parent engaged in their life and to be treated with dignity and respect,” Gov. Youngkin said in a statement.
“The [Virginia Department of Education’s] updated model policies reaffirm my administration’s continued commitment to ensure that every parent is involved in conversations regarding their child’s education, upbringing, and care,” the governor added.
Some school districts in Virginia, however, are threatening not to follow the law.
Richmond and Alexandria, for example, have reportedly vowed not to adhere to the guidance, maintaining that they will “continue the previously adopted policy and practice respecting individual rights and protecting students from discrimination due to gender expression, gender identity, sexual harassment, and transgender status.”
Last year, Gov. Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said they expect school districts to comply.
“It’s the law, and so I don’t really have a lot of patience for folks that see a law and don’t comply with it,” Youngkin affirmed in September.
“Protecting parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions for their children is in the Virginia code, and I fully expect that each one of the school divisions should comply,” the governor added.
People hold up signs during a rally against “critical race theory” (CRT) being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government center in Leesburg, Virginia on June 12, 2021. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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