Arlington County school board meeting sparks protest over transgender bathroom policies
Arlington County School's bathroom policy sparks protests
Protesters rallied outside the school board meeting in Arlington, Virginia after the U.S. Department of Education moved to punish several Northern Virginia districts over transgender student bathroom policies.
ARLINGTON, Va. - Arlington County became the latest flashpoint in the national debate over transgender student rights Thursday night, as protesters rallied outside a packed school board meeting.
The tension follows a move by the U.S. Department of Education to penalize several Northern Virginia school districts, including Arlington, over their refusal to comply with new bathroom policies.
What we know:
The federal mandate requires schools to label bathrooms based on a student’s biological sex.
Arlington Public Schools, however, allows students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
School leaders argue their policy complies with the law, even as the Department of Education has placed them on "high-risk" status for federal funding.
Despite the financial threat, many in Arlington turned out in support of the district’s stance.
READ MORE: 5 Virginia school districts stand firm against federal transgender bathroom policy demands
What they're saying:
"It’s about standing up for our kids who are vulnerable and marginalized. That’s number one, but also we shall not be bullied by the federal government or state government," one parent supporting transgender rights said.
But the opposition also had a strong presence.
"I don’t want to be in the bathroom with a person that maybe is a real transgender, but maybe he’s not. Kids are confused, and I feel we do have to—as an adult, as a parent—I will be in charge to protect my child," said another protester.
During public comment, speakers on both sides expressed frustration with what they see as government overreach.
READ MORE: Loudoun County Public School students head back to the classroom
As a parent, we have the right to make decisions about our families and our community here locally in Arlington and when we say hands off, we mean the federal and state overreach is a bridge too far," one community member said.
Another added that, "They’re trying to bully our school into doing something that is both illegal under state and federal law and fundamentally wrong."
Political spotlight:
The controversy also drew in politics. Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, delivered sharp criticism of Arlington’s policy.
"By refusing to reverse reckless policies, you are failing our daughters, and risk losing millions of dollars in funding our children," Sears said at the podium.
FOX 5’s Shirin Rajaee asked if the debate is truly about bathroom safety, she responded:
"Are you going to have a biological male undressing in the same gym room as you, full frontal? That’s what we’re asking our high school boys and girls to be together nude in the same locker room. This is nonsense."
Parents opposed to the current policy pointed to recent incidents, including the arrest of 58-year-old Richard Cox, who identifies as a transgender woman. Cox faces charges of exposing himself in girls’ locker rooms outside of school hours.
Viral protest sign:
Among the sea of protest signs, one in particular went viral: "Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain."
The woman behind the sign, who declined to be identified, told FOX5 her message was satire.
"It was satire meant to provoke conversation around the absurdity of prejudice. If anyone thinks we are actually supporting separate drinking fountains based on race, they are mistaken. In the same way, that drinking fountains should be usable by all races, bathrooms should be non-discriminatory."
The sign also drew condemnation from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, who called it "racist, abhorrent and unacceptable."
What's next:
The protest comes just days before the start of the new school year, leaving the issue far from resolved. With millions of federal dollars potentially at stake, Arlington and other Northern Virginia school districts could soon face even greater pressure from Washington.