Trans Students Prepare to Face Opposition From New Virginia Governor
Imagery by Blue Linden
Glenn Youngkin won the 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial election on November 3. Youngkin’s campaign for governor included protection of children in schools and allowing parents to control school curriculums. Trans students were not included in this protection of children.
Out of 320 Glasgow Student who filled a form, 12 were transgender, 22 preferred not to say, and 286 were not.
Once Youngkin’s ideal policies are put in place, schools will once again have the choice to disregard trans students’ chosen names and pronouns, deny trans students’ access to their preferred restroom and/or locker room, and prohibit them from participating in school sports. Labibah, a Glasgow student, says, “I think it’s harmful for those who are trans students because it puts them at risk and makes it scary for them when the new governor puts out a law that is anti LGBTQ+.”
Glenn Youngkin is the first Virginia governor in the last decade to not support marriage equality. His beliefs are backed and funded by conservative groups who are also against the protection of marriage equality and transgender rights, two groups being the Family Research Council and the Family Foundation. Both of these groups are widely classified as anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups, with one earning an official designation from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Trans students at Glasgow don’t seem happy to hear Glenn Youngkin’s opinions on them. Nat, another student at Glasgow, says, “A lot of people, even my parents, pretend that trans people don’t go through discrimination. That sucks.” Hopefully, no matter what policies are passed, trans students at Glasgow feel safe and welcome.
Sources:
Raine Jeff (They/Them) is an 8th Grader at Glasgow Middle School. They grew up in Virginia and have lived there for their whole life. They dance, play soccer, like doing art, baking, and taking care of their plants. They have a dog that they got during the pandemic and adore. They enjoy learning and being challenged to think in new ways.
Blue Linden is a web developer, designer, writer, and artist from Falls Church. Her pronouns are she/her. She was born at an extraordinarily young age in 2007, and is the oldest she's ever been as of 2022. She didn't know what aesthetics she liked, so she simply chose to blend them all together and ingest the results. She is a control freak and will stop at nothing to get administrator-level access to whatever she is involved in.
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