News & Commentary

By Kerry Baumann Student, Douglas S. Freeman High SchoolRecently, Glen Allen High School in Henrico County showed a video to its students at an assembly as part of Black History Month. It sparked backlash from many parents and students.The video is entitled “Structural Discrimination: The Unequal Opportunity Race,” and it uses the metaphor of a rigged track competition to depict the various forms of institutionalized racism that impact African-Americans every day. Because of the widespread controversy over this incident, the Henrico County School Board issued an apology, which in turn caused even more outrage from proponents of the video’s message.Regardless of your opinion on this particular matter, we cannot pretend that race-related issues are not prevalent in Henrico County Public Schools. Further, they have historical, political, sociological, and economic relevance. The question is, will our schools not only permit but teach students to engage in constructive debate on important topics about which they may disagree – or will they turn away, leaving students to model their own discourse after the collective shouting now seen in social and traditional media?I should point out that I attend Freeman High School, where, despite having an exceptionally diverse student body, we remain the “Home of the Rebels.” Yes, we have stopped using a Confederate soldier as our mascot, but the issue continues to be debated between students, faculty, parents, and alumni.Also in the news recently are Mills E. Godwin High School Harry F. Byrd Middle School, both of which are named after pro-segregation politicians and advocates of the “massive resistance” movement in Virginia during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Henrico School Board recently voted to change the name of Byrd Middle, but hasn’t yet said what the new name will be.Last year, 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, UCLA conducted a national study in which Henrico County was singled out for its racial segregation. Clearly, race issues persist and in no way are they yesterday’s news.As a high school student, I know that race relations is an important topic for many young people. Students talk about it among themselves quite often, actually, whether we realize it or not. We notice unequal treatment in disciplinary practices. We see the differences between one end of the county and the other, or between Henrico County and Richmond City. Our social media feeds serve as evidence that we share opinions on race relations at a broader, national level, whether it be about educational disparities, socioeconomic conditions, police misconduct, or high levels of incarceration.If the purpose of public schools is to educate young people, then I think young people would agree that school needs to be a forum for conversation about these kinds of issues.Think about it: at most, students receive maybe a year or two of government/civics class. Even with that requirement, there is very little opportunity to engage in more controversial debates and discussions. Once we graduate, we students are off into the real world--we move away, we go to college, we find jobs, and we vote. We need to ensure that our school systems are effective in preparing us for our lives as engaged citizens and future leaders.

The following remarks were delivered by ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga at the first of four 'listening tour' events on the topic of police-community relations sponsored by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The forum was held on Aug. 16, 2016, at the Richmond Police Academy.

The ACLU of Virginia and three other prominent civil rights organizations have joined in a strongly-worded letter to state Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), chair of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, urging opposition to Senate Bill 40."If passed, this bill would allow all clerks and deputy clerks in the commonwealth to refuse to issue a marriage license to any couple if the clerk objects to the marriage based on 'personal, ethical, moral, or religious grounds,'" according to the letter, signed by ACLU-VA Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, Americans United for Separation of Church and State State Legislative Counsel Amrita Singh, Anti-Defamation League Associate Regional Director Eric M. Wachter, and Jewish Community Relations Counsel of Greater Washington Director of Virginia Government Relations Darcy Hirsch.The letter continues: "If this legislation is passed and signed into law, clerks would believe that they could refuse to issue marriage licenses because they do not approve of marriage for couples who are interfaith, interracial, same sex, or divorcees. Government officials—funded with taxpayer dollars—should not be allowed to pick and choose which of their duties they will fulfill or which services they will provide and to whom, especially when the result would be blatant discrimination and the service to be denied involves a fundamental human right."Fundamental reasons why SB 40, sponsored by Sen. Bill Carrico (R-Grayson) should be defeated are:

The ACLU of Virginia commends the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Board of Trustees for its recent decision to create a new Freedom of Speech case for public displays at Charlottesville’s Central Branch.Previously, the library had required such displays be “age appropriate” and “balanced in their presentation of public issues.” This suggested that decisions about displays by the library (a government agency) would be content or viewpoint driven. The library’s board was forced to re-examine that policy after some patrons complained about a pro-abortion rights display sponsored by the Charlottesville chapter of the National Organization for Women.Last week, the board actually widened its policy, rightly recognizing that free speech must include discussion of challenging and even divisive issues, such as religious, political and social messages. The new display case will be in an area that only adults use and placed at least 20 feet from the front door. Only obscene, defamatory or material that incites is prohibited.While certain displays might continue to offend some patrons’ sensibilities, it should be clear now that the library has created a public forum. Its contents represent the views of their sponsors and not the library or government. Should anti-abortion advocates choose to exercise their right to free speech, they can take a turn sharing a message in the display case.When government creates a public forum, all viewpoints are welcomed. Kudos to the library board for understanding that opening up rather than contracting the forum is the right way to ensure free speech.

Note: This is the fourth in a five-part series featuring Virginians whose rights would be directly affected by anti-LGBT bills now under consideration in the state legislature. All writers participated in a joint news conference held by the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia at the Virginia Capitol on Jan. 19, 2016. It reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of the ACLU of Virginia.By Michael Thorne-Begland Vice President for ROSMY and LGBTQ Youth OrganizationFounded in 1991 in Richmond, Virginia, ROSMY’s mission is to ensure equal opportunities for success for Virginia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth through access to support, education, and advocacy. ROSMY continues to be the only organization in the area that directly addresses the unique needs and the healthy social development of LGBTQ youth ages 11-20. It offers weekly youth support meetings, sensitivity training for professionals, educational resources, youth leadership initiatives.You can find additional information about ROSMY at www.ROSMY.ORGMartin Luther King said that darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.So today we are here to shine a light on the attempts of several lawmakers to enshrine in the laws of the Commonwealth a narrow, ignorant view of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.In the past several years - truth has been on the march – in this Commonwealth and around the country. In her triumph over ignorance, truth has repeatedly shown us that all Virginians are created equal. Every lesbian girl, every gay boy, every bisexual youth and every transgender child is created equal. That simple truth, unsettling to some, will no longer be denied.The onslaught of proposals to enshrine anti-gay bias in our laws is a reaction to this simple truth and highlights the darkness that grips some Virginians – a darkness fueled by lies passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.Victoria Cobb and others say Virginia’s LGBT youth are broken – ignoring the amazing lives of tens of thousands of LGBT youth in Virginia who each day show us LGBT youth are just as capable, just as successful, just as kind and human and goofy and caring and smart and driven as their peers.Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.They say Virginia’s LGBT youth are predators and a threat to other youth – ignoring statistics that show LBGT youth are much more likely to be bullied than their straight and cisgender counterparts.Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.They say a trans-child’s need to use a bathroom appropriate for their gender places other youth at risk – fabricating deranged scenarios where such an act – using a bathroom appropriate for your gender, creates risk for others.Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.They say that laws like those proposed this year aren’t about discriminating; they are about protecting. These are the same people who said the institution of marriage would be devalued if our marriages were fully recognized. They said our military would be less effective if we allowed our LGBT soldiers to serve honestly. They say that religious freedoms will be trampled if LGBT Virginian’s enjoy the same rights as others.These are their lies, passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.Truth, in the hearts and minds of Virginians and etched on the pages of our recent past, has shown Victoria Cobb and others like her for what they are. And year after year, their darkness is leaving our schools and our churches and our workplaces and our general assembly. It is leaving, but it is not gone. Their darkness will not be driving out with darkness, but with light.So today we are here to shine a light on the attempts of several lawmakers to enshrine in the laws of the Commonwealth, a narrow, ignorant view of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and speak our simple, undeniable truth thatWe support the efforts of the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia and other fair-minded Virginians who support equality for all.