NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin's proposed policies impacting LGBTQIA+ students are in the spotlight again.
Virginia Beach
VBCPS Board passes modified version of Gov. Youngkin's model policies
Virginia Beach schools adopted a modified policy last week while the Suffolk school board delayed a vote, citing the need for more discussion.
News
Suffolk school board delays vote on model policies impacting LGBTQ students
The Family Foundation of Virginia held a media briefing and rally outside World Outreach Worship Center in Newport News Monday night.
Among the speakers were parents, educators and activists urging school districts that haven't acted to adopt Governor Youngkin's model policies.
"Make it clear that parents must be notified and be given an opportunity to object before counseling regarding gender is given to our children," said Rhonda Williams, a mother of three children who attend Newport News schools.
Parents called on school districts to fully implement the policies.
"Bottom line, it's time to stop leaving parents in the dark when sexual and gender identity experimentation are promoted by school officials to their kids at school," said Candi Cushman, the vice president of the Family Foundation of Virginia.
Newport News School Board member Douglas Brown also spoke during the media conference.
"Parents are essential to the success of our children, to the success of public education," Brown said. "Without parents engaging and parents doing what they do, then we simply cannot have a successful school division.
Mark Byrd, the pastor of New Life Metropolitan Church in Norfolk— which has a predominately LGBTQIA+ community— says he's concerned with the policies.
"We're creating an environment where children and youth and young, young adults don't feel safe," Byrd said. "So they're not going to feel free to truly express who they are."
Julie Snell with the LGBT Life Center in Norfolk is also worried about the policies getting the greenlight.
"These policies are actually taking away some kids' autonomy and that whole path of self-discovery and figuring out who you are," she said. "It largely happens in school where children spend a lot of their time."
