A Letter To The LCPS School Board:

Dear School Board members,

I'm writing you as the Equity Chair for the Hunt District PTA and as an LCPS parent to urge you to discuss and make appropriate changes to policies related to the misgendering of transgender students in LCPS classrooms.

In 2019 LCPS included gender identity and sexual orientation in the approved Policy 1040 revision.  Requiring school administration to verify pronoun changes for transgender and gender-fluid students with parents is a violation of the protections of the policy, as this requirement is only in place for gender-diverse students, not the student body as a whole.  

Affirming pronoun requests is one of the important ways we can support gender diverse students, faculty, and staff within our schools.  An individual is aware of and capable of deciding on the pronouns they wish to identify as by a young age (see Olson, K.R., & Gülgöz, S. (2018). Early Findings from the TransYouth Project: Gender Development in Transgender Children. Child Development Perspectives, 12(2), 93-97.)  Denial or refusal to support and affirm these choices is an equity issue and does not foster a safe and supportive learning environment.  It is also detrimental to the mental health of students and staff impacted by intentional misgendering.

The Hunt District PTA and the National PTA are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.  This commitment includes representation and respect for sexual orientation and gender identification. We hope that the LCPS School Board will continue to support gender diverse students by allowing for self-identification without requiring parental permission.  A full list of Trans Student Policy Recommendations, created by multiple non-profits and government agencies, includes many recommendations that the board should support as well.  A copy of this document was submitted to the VDOE in June of this year and is attached for your review and consideration.

Thank you for your time.  We look forward to working closely with members of the Equity Committee and the School Board as you make decisions to support our LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff by adopting and enforcing affirming policies for all Loudoun County Public Schools.

Sincerely,

Lara Profitt
Equity Chair
Hunt District PTA
703-725-0583


Additional Resources:

• National PTA Position Statement on Harmful Sexual Orientation and Identity Change Position Statement

• National PTA Resolution: Recognition of LGBTQ Individuals as a Protected Class

• National PTA Notes From The Backpack Podcast: How to Help LGBTQ Youth Thrive