On Tuesday, high school students across Virginia participated in walkouts in protest against a new transphobic policy change from the state’s Department of Education. 

Virginia-based, student-led organisation named the Pride Liberation Project organised the walkout after the administration of Republican governor Glenn Youngkin announced a policy change on September 17. Almost 100 schools were named on the Virginia-based Pride Liberation Project’s public list of participating schools.

Youngkin’s planned policy change would require students to use facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth; force students to get legal documents before updating their name or pronouns at school; and require students to participate in sports and gender-segregated extracurriculars based on their assigned sex at birth.

Schools will also be required to “keep parents informed about their children’s well-being” including “and without limitation, matters related to their child’s health, and social and psychological development.” Some have pointed out that this could result in teachers being forced to out queer children to their parents.

The Virginia Department of Education has said that these new rules are designed to support “the rights of parents to determine how their children will be raised and educated”.

Kanno, 14, attended a walkout on Tuesday. “I walked out because I myself am trans and I have friends who are trans and non-binary,” he says. “We want to be respected and accepted for who we are, like every other student. We shouldn’t have to be worrying about our safety – we just want to be able to learn in school.”

“It’s awful not having a place to be yourself. To feel as though you’re in danger in both your home and school? It’s just plain wrong,” he continues. “Not every child has a good home environment, and and if you out someone who isn’t ready to have their family or others aware of their identity, then you’re doing more harm than good.”

Research has consistently shown that anti-trans policies in schools come at a huge detriment to the mental health and wellbeing of trans students. The GLSEN 2019 National School Climate Survey found that “that Virginia schools were not safe for most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) secondary school students”. The survey found that 23 per cent had been physically harassed at school due to their gender expression.

Additionally, a survey from the Trevor Project found that 85 per cent of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that debates about anti-trans bills negatively affected their mental health. The report also found that LGBTQ youth who attended schools which didn’t affirm their gender or sexual identity were more likely to attempt suicide than those who attended schools which did affirm their identities.

“I decided to take part because these laws affect me and the people I love,” 14-year-old Kai tells Dazed. “Nothing makes me angrier than transphobia because trans people are people, and they deserve basic rights.”

“A lot of people showed up. People were angry and fearful of the idea that school could suddenly become unsafe for us,” Kai adds. “I should have to worry about my grades, not about having my rights taken.”

Iris, 16, also attended a walkout at her school. “I actually thought we should stage a walkout the second the news came out, as we had previously done walkouts for abortion and school shootings,” she says. She adds that although she is “closeted” at present, she felt encouraged by the strength of feeling towards trans rights among her peers. “While I may not be out yet, it felt good to feel supported.”

There’s still time to push back against the Department of Education’s proposal. Public comment on the planned changes opened on September 26th and will remain open for 30 days. Thousands of comments have already flooded in: and, thankfully, many of these strongly oppose the changes.

“This policy does nothing to actually serve and protect children. Instead, it instils harmful, fascist, hateful beliefs into vulnerable children, putting children at greater risk of suicide and abuse from those who are supposed to protect them,” one reads. “LGBTQ Americans already face so much discrimination just for being who they are, and this cruel policy only serves to extend that discrimination to vulnerable children,” another says.

It’s harrowing to think that thousands of children’s wellbeing is being jeopardised thanks to a few cruel politicians, but it’s some consolation that Youngkin’s plan isn’t going unchallenged and that high schoolers across Virginia are making sure their voices are heard.