Information on Fairfax County Public School Board Transgender Regulations
As a concerned parent of Fairfax County Public School children, I'm writing you to for your help in voicing your opinion to the FCPS school board regarding protecting our children's privacy and rights in their pending transgender non-discrimination regulation that our school board is trying to move forward with in the coming weeks.There is no public input being solicited into the process, so our emails and petition is critical to having a voice in the process.
The proposed regulation goes beyond the bathroom issue, as the regulation allows transgender students to use the lockers and showers of their preference. It protects the right of transgender students to get dressed and shower side by side with students of the opposite sex getting dressed or showered, but not the privacy rights of the many other students who are impacted.It also allows biological males to compete against girls in girls athletics, which creates an unfair competitive environment for the FCPS female athletes.The result is that girls could be bumped from competing or participating from athletic events or fail to place at events due to a biologically male student who has a very real biological competitive advantage, which is unfair.
We do believe transgender students do deserve to be protected from harassment, bullying, and not denied any educational opportunities in public school; no student should be denied opportunity for any reason.Any regulation change must respects those with cultural or religious modesty mandates in front of the opposite sex, as well as preserve a level playing field for girls in athletics.We need to respect all students' rights.
We believe girls sports, and areas where our students get undressed or shower, needs to be segregated by biological sex and not gender identity.We don't agree that gender identity and biological sex are interchangeable in these areas, and biological sex must be used to preserve the rights of students modesty, as well as fair and safe competition.
What you can do to help, is:
1) Please read the regulation,which was sent to the school board Friday, July 1.
It will be presented at a work session to move toward adopting as the regulations surrounding gender identity non-discrimination.
Read it and understand how it will impact the FCPS children.
2) Please read, and sign our petition to demand a higher level of transparency from our school board, community input, and to protect our diverse modesty requirements where sex segregation is required, and fairness in our sex specific athletic programs.
The petition page also has regular updates on Board action and meetings.
3) Spread the word, and make sure you attend the work session on Thursday, July 21. We don't have any input at the work session; however, a very large crowd presented as a sea of parents wearing red will send a visible message, loud and clear.
Currently, it is scheduled on Thursday July 21, from 4PM to 6PM (but show up early, at 3:00) at:
School Board Conference Room 1600
Gatehouse Administration Center
8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church.
The location is subject to change if the facility is not large enough to hold all of us. Check BoardDocs for any changes or updates should there be any.
Find updatesat
Make sure you are there early (3:00) and wear RED.
4) Write to the school board members to let them know your views on the proposed regulation.
You could also contact your school principals, as this will impact them as well, especially if all our children request a private bathroom and changing room for gym class.
5) Attend animportant informational meeting for parents and other concerned parishioners Fairfax County Public Schools’ new “transgender” rules:
Tuesday, July 26, 7:00 PM
St. Raymond Parish Hall
8750 Pohick Rd.
Springfield, VA 22153
6) Forward this message to as many parents as you can so they can also be informed about the policy and how it may impact their children.Spread the word far and wide before the work session is scheduled so every parent has an opportunity to provide their opinions on this extreme regulation.
For a regulation that will affect and violate so many student's rights, their initial intent to quickly push this through without public input is not proper behavior of a school board that is supposed to represent us and our children.
We are not affiliated with any group or organization.We are just individual concerned parents, just like you.
Thank you.