FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors formally opposed Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's proposed policy changes for transgender students in schools across the Commonwealth on Tuesday.
The board stated in a letter that the "2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia's Public Schools" would cause more harm than good and that it does not align with the Fairfax County Public Schools' beliefs.
"Your model policies -- and the discrimination inherent to them -- will have a chilling effect on our continued ability to attract the world's most innovative companies to Fairfax County. To put it bluntly, discrimination is bad for business," board chairman Jeffrey McKay said in the letter.
Youngkin's policy changes would mean students would have to use bathrooms or locker rooms that are based on their biological sex, with modifications offered only to the extent required under federal law. Students who are minors would also have to be referred to by the name and pronouns in their official records unless a parent or guardian approves otherwise.
These types of policy changes can cause harm to those affected, according to the letter which lists the critical impacts it can have including high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide.
"A young LGBTQ person attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the United States," the board said. "A peer-reviewed study in 2021 found that transgender and nonbinary youth who reported gender identity acceptance from at least one adult in their lives were 33% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year."
The board closed out the letter by stating that the schools have worked hard to support their students and by denying that support to transgender students, it puts them at risk.
The board voted 9-1 to submit their comment Tuesday to the Virginia Department of Education on the policy.
This came a day before the last day for the public to comment on the proposed changes. After the public comment period ends, the Virginia Department of Education plans to review comments and make edits to the guidelines for the schools across the state before sending to the superintendent of Virginia to be finalized.