
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) recently published proposed policies to replace the existing model policies for the treatment of transgender students in Virginia's public schools. All public schools were supposed to adopt the existing trans-affirming policies by the 2021-2022 school year. Instead VDOE has replaced those policies with proposed policies that seek to erase transgender and nonbinary youth from schools, creating a hostile and potentially dangerous environment.
While alarming, the proposed model policies are not in effect! They must go through a 30-day public comment period before they can be implemented. The comment period is open now and closes on October 26. If you support transgender and nonbinary youth, the most important step you can take is to submit a comment opposing the proposed policies. We need to make it clear that an overwhelming number of Virginians oppose these transphobic policies.