Virginia implemented new anti-transgender policies for schools, but Fairfax County Public Schools will not comply with them. The new policies go against federal law by restricting bathroom access for transgender students and allowing teachers to ignore using students’ chosen names and pronouns. Studies show that affirming policies help transgender students feel safer and have better educational outcomes. FCPS affirmed its commitment to protecting transgender students and allowing them to fully participate as their authentic selves. The policies have faced opposition from residents, students, and civil rights groups who argue they violate nondiscrimination laws and harm transgender youth. Superintendent Reid echoed that affirming policies are critical to providing quality education for all students. Overall, the new state policies have ignited debate around balancing students’ welfare with claims of parental rights.

  • Purple state is more accurate.

    I don’t think that’s true anymore. It’s pretty much solidly blue at this point. VA has not voted for a Republican President since 2004 and haven’t had a Republican Senator since 2006.

    • Sure you can take the presidential and senate elections as a data point but from someone who lives in Virginia and makes trips to see friends all over the state I can tell you it’s not so black and white (or red/blue).

      •  sim_   ( @sim_@beehaw.org ) 
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        10 months ago

        That’s true of any blue state though; WA, OR, CA, NY. Solidly “blue” but leave major metro areas and it’s a whole different story. It’s a shortcoming of brushing any state with a red or blue brush.

        • Only region where both the urban and rural populations are majority blue would be New England.

          There are no areas where both urban and rural areas are red.

          That’s why Republicans have problems in any state with a large, dominant urban area.

          •  Zaktor   ( @Zaktor@sopuli.xyz ) 
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            310 months ago

            Sooner or later they’re going to figure out that growing urban centers are a threat to their power and start explicitly sabotaging them. If Atlanta wasn’t doing so well, Georgia probably wouldn’t have turned purple.