SW News: As the fight for parents’ rights and protections for LGBT students is gaining momentum in Virginia, a state delegate said that she will introduce a new bill in the next session of the legislature where it would be a crime if a Virginia parent or guardian does not affirm their child’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
Democratic Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, who is also a social worker, said on Thursday that if the parents are not affirming their LGBTQ child’s gender orientation, they will have to face consequences. It could be a felony or maybe a misdemeanor. But once Child Protective Services (CPS) are charged one would even become unemployed as many companies do a CPS database search before recruiting someone.

The delegate’s move to introduce the bill comes after the updated "model policies" were introduced by the Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a month ago. As per the policy, transgender students have to use bathrooms and has to join sports teams based on their sex at birth apart from their gender identity.

The Virginia Department of Education argued that the new "model policies" under the previous administration "disregarded the rights of parents and ignored other legal and constitutional principles that significantly impact how schools educate students, including transgender students."

Youngkin stood with the parents and said that “children do not belong to the state. They belong to families. And when a child is wrestling with this kind of decision, a parent should absolutely be the primary counselor adviser and help her in wrestling with this decision."

Thousands of students in Virginia have walked out of their classes retaliating against the Republican Governor’s newly proposed model policies.
Guzman added that the law will be “educating parents” and it tells not to “abuse your children because they are LGBTQ.”