Rally/Protest/Celebration for the acceptance of trans and gender-expansive people in Virginia schools.
Also, it is the School Board Proclamation of October as LGBTQIA+ History Month in Fairfax County Public Schools
6:00 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road
We will have a rally and protest at 6, then go in the meeting around 7 pm for a photo with the school board (entirely optional for participants)
The very existence of trans people in Virginia and our schools is under attack by Richmond! The Youngkin/Schultz Department of Education has written a falsely named Model Policy that rewrites the Virginia Human Rights Act for schools to exclude LGBTQIA+ people, and effectively makes being safe or welcomed in a public school in Virginia impossible for transgender and non-binary students and staff.
Let’s support and encourage the Fairfax County School Board in fighting this politically based exploitation of our must vulnerable. We’re counting on FCPS to bring suit against the VDOE, and we will back them. Teachers are fearing for their jobs, students are being told by the Youngkin policy that they are pariahs and unwelcome. This attack can not stand!
This rally coincides with the LGBTQIA+ History Month recognition/resolution by the (if you would like) in the photograph for the School Board Resolution.
History Month is recognized in FCPS, and includes National Coming Out Day, and the anniversary of the 1997 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights.
Families and allies welcome–keep in mind that its a public event, so reporters and such may photograph you and/or your children. It is possible that there will be a counter-rally as sometimes in the past, so parents should be aware as they bring children. Watch this space for more information.
We will have speeches, goodies, flags and songs!
Our siblings in Miami-Dade school district in Florida decided NOT to recognize this month, but FCPS continues the tradition.
It’s a chance to bring Queer history, LGBTQ liberation, and icons of our community (historical and modern) into our curriculum.
Student clubs may make announcements, and FCPS has developed some curriculum for educators to use for History Month.
Please sign up to speak at the meeting in support if you are able. Registration starts on Sept 30 for the October 6 meeting. Registration ends two days before the meeting. Here’s the registration link on this page (all the information is here). https://www.fcps.edu/school-board/community-participation
Current concerns:
A) The school must take action early this fall to approve the Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Report as it was published last may (and postponed in an almost unprecedented action). The change requested by parents/guardians in our community was to end separation by genders in the one or two hours of instruction in Human Growth and Development in grades 4-8. No benefit is gained from delay–a major deficit to further delay is the conveyance to the larger community of the strong method that the board and administration may be alarmed of explicit support of LGBTQIA+ students and their parents/guardians.
More information and clinical research on gender-combined FLE
B) Our community needs and asks for public response by leaders when dangerous, animosity-filled speech occurs at school board meetings against Black, Indigenous and other People of Color, and against LGBTQIA+ people occur at school board testimony. These dangerous words can’t be allowed to stand unanswered.
C) Criminalization of students–FCPS needs a response to SB 36, which previous experience shows tends to criminalize behaviors by disabled students, male students, Black and Hispanic students, immigrant students, and LGBTQIA+ students. We can not change the law at this point, but FCPS can ameliorate the damage.
D) Model Policies on Explicit Materials from Virginia Department of Education (result of SB 656)–FCPS’s policies and regulations already cover this “Model Policy;” we do NOT need any new policy.
Leadership (Superintendent and School Board) should take concrete actions that will re-assure parents/guardians that the quality of the education in Fairfax will not decline because of self-censorship by teachers, librarians and school-based administrators. Staff should not be burdened with paperwork or dealing with inimical responses–region and cabinet-level staff should take the lead in supporting staff and families in maintaining our world-class curriculum.
E) Continued protection of our libraries.
FCPS Pride envisions a public school system in Virginia in which all people are welcome, safe and respected