Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin faced questions regarding his state’s LGBT guidelines for public education from a transgender Arlington student during a CNN town hall on Thursday.
In accordance with the Virginia Department of Education (DOE) model policies released in 2022, students will be required to use restrooms, locker rooms, and participate in sports leagues that correspond to their biological sex. Schools are also allowed to change the legal name or gender on a student’s record “if a parent or eligible student presents a legal document…substantiating the change of the student’s or former student’s legal name or gender.”
During Thursday’s town hall, students in attendance, including 17-year-old high school student Niko, who identifies as a transgender man, lobbied Youngkin on several of Virginia’s proposed guidelines.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
“Governor Youngkin, your transgender model policies require students to play on sports teams and use the bathrooms that correspond to their sex assigned at birth,” Niko said. “Look at me. I am a transgender man. Do you really think the girls at my high school would be comfortable sharing a bathroom with me?”
in a shorten From the exchange posted by CNN on Twitter, Youngkin begins by thanking Niko for coming to town hall, saying it was “very important” for parents to engage in conversations regarding gender politics in schools.
“I also believe that there are many students involved in this decision, and most importantly, we tried very hard to accommodate students,” the governor continued. “That’s why I’ve said many, many times, we just need additional bathrooms in schools. We need gender-neutral bathrooms, so that people can use a bathroom that they are actually comfortable with.”
Youngkin also took time in his response to defend the state’s guidelines on transgender student athletes, saying, “I think sports are very clear. And I don’t think it’s controversial. I don’t think biological children should play sports with biological beings.” girls. There have been decades of efforts to win opportunities for women in sports, and it’s just not fair.”
A student who said he identified as a transgender man asked Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a CNN town hall if he thought high school girls “would feel comfortable sharing a bathroom with me.”
This is what the governor said. pic.twitter.com/1GSl9U8Ehx
– CNN (@CNN) March 10, 2023
The governor’s responses throughout the night were met with backlash from some LGBT activists on Twitter, such as the human rights campaign (HRC), who tweeted: “Governor Youngkin falsely claims he is an advocate for the rights of all parents so they can ensure their children are supported.”
“He only seeks the interest of SOME parents,” the HRC continued. “His policies of him strip LGBTQ+ students of the support and resources they need to thrive.”
Virginia State Senator Ghazala Hashmi he also reposted a clip of Youngkin’s exchange with Niko, writing that the governor’s “proposed ‘model policy’ for transgender students would deny Niko the right to be seen and recognized as a transgender man.”
The Youngkin administration has not set a clear timeline for when the model policies will go into effect in Virginia. In the fall, the state was still reviewing more than 71,000 comments it had received during a public comment period on the policies, and in December, a committee of state lawmakers filed an objection to the guidelines, The Center Square reported.
The DOE previously said the policies “will take effect when finalized by the superintendent of public instruction.”
Per the above Virginia DOE guidelines, students may use pronouns, restrooms, or locker rooms that reflect their gender identity. Schools are also encouraged not to reveal a student’s gender identity to other students or parents.
Youngkin’s new guidelines state that “No policy, guidance, training, or other written material issued…can encourage or instruct teachers to withhold material information regarding a student from the student’s parents, including information related to gender.”
During Thursday’s town hall, Youngkin said his approach to LGBT issues and other education policies begins with a focus on “parents and transparency.” When asked regarding his position on the removal of certain books from school libraries, Governor saying it was important “to make sure that parents know what is in the library and that parents understand what materials are used in the curriculum.”
news week has emailed Youngkin’s press secretary Macaulay Porter for comment on Thursday’s town hall.
