AFA applauds Gov. Youngkin for advancing parents’ rights in children’s transgender decisions

TUPELO, Miss. — American Family Association (AFA, www.AFA.net) commends Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin for his steadfast advancement of parental rights over local school authorities and teachers regarding underage gender transitioning. Youngkin’s new policy defines “sex” as “biological sex” and maintains that if parents authorize a change in a student’s name, pronoun, or bathroom use, “accommodations will be made for that student” only. The policy also states that sports that are separated by sex will be separated by biological sex. To protest this new policy, scores of students across the state left their classrooms to “disrupt schools and essentially have students be aware of what’s going on.”

Despite some backlash, many people praised Youngkin’s proposed policy, claiming that parents should be an active part of their children’s lives. Youngkin, a Republican, defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 Virginia Governor’s race after the Democrat said parents should have no say in what’s taught in schools.    

American Family Association (AFA, www.AFA.net) Executive Vice President Ed Vitagliano said it is imperative for parents to be the ultimate controlling authority in whether a student selects to become transgender. Vitagliano said parents must protect their children from transgender manipulations in school as too many who have transitioned are coming forward expressing deep emotional pain and regret.

“The Virginia governor is hitting the right notes in his approach to this contentious issue,” Vitaliano said, “but there’s already been a tremendous amount of damage to young people through the indoctrination that has been underway for several years now. That is evident from the student walkout that occurred in many Virginia schools. The radicals have been at the controls, literally brainwashing impressionable young people, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin is fighting a courageous battle to return some of that control back to parents. We applaud him.”

For over 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission.  Founded in 1977, AFA has long been on the front lines of America’s culture war. Today, AFA is one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country, with nearly a million online supporters and approximately 110,000 subscribers to The Stand (formerly known as the AFA Journal), the ministry’s monthly magazine.  Find AFA Action Alerts here.  In addition, AFA owns and operates nearly 180 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner. 

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.        

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To interview an AFA spokesperson, contact [email protected], Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.