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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin demands students use bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex

Glenn Youngkin's new rules say minors should be called by the names and pronouns listed on their official records unless parents want something else

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is issuing a requirement that transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their biological sex. This is a reversal of the course on how the state previously dealt with trans students. The Republicans have now rolled back changes made earlier.

The rewritten rules will go into effect after a 30-day public comment period. The rules say minors are required to be called by the names and pronouns listed on their official records unless the parents want something else. The Virginia Department of Education posted the '2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for all Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools' online. 

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Changes that were brought into effect last year allowed children to use names, pronouns, and bathrooms that aligned with their gender identity. Critics have slammed the new policy shift, and many including delegate Mike Mullin took to social media to express their contempt. "@GovernorVA's new model policy calls for the misgendering and outing of children in schools where they're supposed to be safe. Absolutely shameful," Mullin wrote. 

Senate Democrats said in a joint statement that the changes are “an outright violation of Virginians’ civil rights." "The actions by Youngkin’s Department of Education are an outright violation of Virginians’ civil rights, and perpetuate the national MAGA playbook of obliterating any inference of diversity, equity, or inclusion in our communities. This move is yet another iteration of the Governor’s lack of empathy and proof of how out-of-touch he and Virginia Republicans are with everyday Virginians."

It added, "Most importantly, To all the LGBTQ+ students out there: we see you, we support you. Just like all of the children in our Commonwealth, you make Virginia beautiful and deserve the safety to thrive–everywhere. We developed these policies in 2020 understanding that for students who do not have supportive families, forced outing can lead to decreased mental wellness, as well as financial and housing insecurity. These changes released by Governor Youngkin on Friday will put our vulnerable transgender and nonbinary students at further risk for bullying and harassment. Despite Governor Youngkin’s political gamesmanship in his quest to compete with the cruel policies of Ron DeSantis and to divert attention from the issues at hand around abortion, we will continue to work collaboratively with our families and schools to assure that all students are safe in their schools.”