(NewsReady.com) – Virginia’s conservative governor pulled in a lot of support during his election campaign by promising to fight woke ideology in the state’s schools. Now he’s living up to that promise. Virginia’s education department is ready to ban schools from helping kids secretly “transition” without their parents knowing.
On July 18, the Virginia Department of Education finalized its new rules for students who want to “transition” to a new gender identity. There’s been a growing controversy about teachers letting students adopt new names, pronouns and identities — or even helping them do it — while hiding it from their parents. Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) campaigned on a parents’ rights platform when he ran for his post in 2021; polling suggests that turned out to be a big factor in his victory.
Now, all public school districts in Virginia will have to adopt the new policies the education department has released. Under the new rules, teachers and school staff won’t be able to use different names or pronouns for a child unless their parents have given written permission. Youngkin told reporters all children in the state “deserve to have a parent engaged in their life.”
There’s good news for female athletes, too. From now on, students will have to join an athletic program that matches their biological sex. The same rule applies to using bathroom facilities — students who are biologically male will need to use the male restrooms, regardless of how they identify. Trans-identified males in female restrooms have become a hot issue in Virginia since a teenage boy in a skirt sexually assaulted two girls in Loudoun County schools in 2021.
Of course, the updated rules have already drawn criticism from Liberals. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said it was “horrified” at the changes and accused the education department of promoting discrimination. Parents are pleased, though. Parents Defending Education Action chief Alex Nester called the new policy “a huge win” for parents.
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