Happy Pride Month!
Happy Pride Month! This month is especially significant for our family because we celebrate our amazing trans child Nyx. She (her pronoun of choice) came out to our family 2 years ago this month, and we proudly celebrate the brave, confident, beautiful person she is.
Although Nyx (who consented for me to share her story) is endlessly loved and supported by her family, friends, teachers and community, being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in today’s political climate is terrifying. The national news is filled with instances of LGBTQIA+ rights under attack, including banning drag shows in Tennessee, “Don’t Say Gay” in Florida, and gender-affirming care outlawed in many states. Threats of violence to the transgender and non-binary community are on the rise. And a recent national survey by The Trevor Project reports that half of transgender and non-binary young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year.
Virginia and Albemarle County are not immune to these deeply troubling trends. While ACPS continues to support our queer students through its Transgender and Gender-Expansive Student Policy, the rights of our LGBTQIA+ children are under threat. The Youngkin administration has attempted to reverse existing legal protections for transgender children in our schools, including requiring school personnel to misgender non-binary students. And the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently held that another Virginia school district violated federal antidiscrimination law by requiring a transgender student to use only bathrooms that matched their “biological gender.”
Closer to home, my opponent has spoken publicly in favor of anti-trans policies that risk harming LGBTQIA+ children. In a comment at the July 8, 2021 school board meeting, she suggested that a child’s gender identity should be disclosed to their parents, regardless of the child’s desires. Not only does forced outing violate students’ privacy rights, but it also potentially endangers their well being. LGBTQIA+ kids generally, and trans kids specifically, are at a much greater risk of harassment, abuse, and self-harm. Data shows that involuntarily outing a LGBTQ+ child raises that risk significantly. If a student does not feel comfortable sharing their gender identity with their parent(s), that indicates there’s a larger communication and trust problem. All students should be valued and affirmed and feel safe in school, especially because sometimes school is the only safe place for LGBTQIA+ students.
Below are some specific proposals to help make our public schools a safe and inclusive environment for our LGBTQIA+ children:
Representation matters! Several studies report that an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum promotes a positive school environment and student well-being. For example, students in California who learned about LGBTQ issues at school reported less teasing and bullying of LGBTQ students.
Every ACPS middle and high school should have a Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA)--student-run organizations that unite LGBTQ+ and allied youth to build community and organize around issues impacting them in their schools and communities.
Foster a supportive LGBTQIA+ community through groups and meetups for both ACPS students and parents.
As a candidate for the at-large School Board seat, I deeply believe in our public schools and their mission to help ALL kids grow, succeed, learn, and thrive. Now, more than ever, LGBTQIA+ youth need our visible and vocal support. I am proud to be a parent of a trans child. I am proud to be an ally for the LGBTQIA+ community. And I am proud to fight for your children.
