Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration has proposed new policies regarding transgender students’ rights that could negatively impact the mental health and safety of students in public schools. If passed, the policies would require students to only use bathrooms and locker rooms associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. They would also only be allowed to participate in sports or extracurricular activities in accordance with the same rule. The legal name and sex of a student would also have to align with their sex at birth unless official legal documents or court orders are provided, regardless of whether a parent gives permission. This would require teachers and other school officials to only refer to a student by the pronouns associated with their sex at birth.
For transgender and nonbinary students, the policies could embolden educators who are already dismissive of their identities, as supportive educators worry they will be contractually obligated to out students or enforce measures that harm their students. “Morally, they feel it’s imperative to continue affirming their trans and nonbinary students by using their requested names and pronouns, regardless of documentation,” said Abram Clear, the school programs coordinator for Side by Side, an organization working with schools across Virginia to support LGBTQ youth. “But this would be at odds with the 2022 [Virginia Department of Education] protocols.”
With no indication of when the policies that restrict bathroom use and pronoun preference could be implemented, some students in Virginia public schools are afraid of losing their safe spaces at school. Transgender and nonbinary students also worry that these policies could lead to negative mental health consequences, as well as possible physical danger at home if educators are required to out students to their guardians. While some guardians openly support their student’s sexuality, other discussions about gender identity can be dismissed or misunderstood at home.
In contrast, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) continues to push for visible allyship in middle and high schools, distributing a survey each year to learn about student perceptions of themselves to improve school climate and social-emotional learning. DCPS policies on transgender and non-confirming students also advise school-based staff to be aware of student identification preferences and always use their preferred reference when speaking to or about the student. Staff in DCPS can even become trained LGBTQ Liaisons, offering visible allyship and resources to students and families.
GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliances) in public schools are protected under the Federal Equal Access Act. However, in particularly homophobic and transphobic school environments, LGBTQ+ students may not have any trusted adults to advise and sponsor the club. Side by Side is concentrating efforts in the greater Richmond, Va., area to connect more than 25 GSAs at middle and high schools. But GSAs aren’t run in every middle and high school in the state, so the challenge to offer affirming in-school club spaces remains a priority as the state faces potential changes to students’ rights.
In one month alone, nearly one-third of LGBTQ students missed at least one day of school because they felt unsafe, according to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network’s 2021 report. Just over 75% of LGBTQ youth also experienced in-person verbal harassment at school in the past year due to their sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity. Holding a consistent, brave space for LGBTQ+ students to gather can be transformative for a school’s environment, said Clear. GSA meetings may be one of the only safe spaces LGBTQ+ students have