In a recent development, students at Woodgrove High School in Loudoun County staged a walkout on Wednesday, demanding the restoration of gender-specific restrooms and locker rooms.
The protest was against Policy 8040, a district-wide measure that permits non-binary and transgender students to use facilities that correspond with their gender identity, as reported by WJLA-TV.
The controversial policy, titled "Rights of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students," was enacted by the Loudoun County School Board in 2021 following a 7-2 vote. The policy asserts that "Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is committed to providing an equitable, safe and inclusive learning environment for all students."
The policy mandates school staff to respect the chosen names and gender pronouns of transgender or gender-expansive students, reflecting their consistently asserted gender identity, irrespective of the name and gender recorded in the student's permanent educational record. It further states that any intentional and persistent refusal to respect a student's gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun is a violation of this policy.
The policy also stipulates that transgender students should be allowed to participate in school activities that align with their chosen gender identity.
The protest saw the participation of approximately 50 to 100 students, who walked out of the high school in opposition to the policy. The demonstrators held placards with messages such as "Restore girls only and boys only locker rooms, showers & bathrooms!" and "Overturn Policy 8040." Footage of the protest showed students singing the national anthem.
One male student expressed his discomfort to WJLA, stating, "In the locker rooms in the morning it's an invasion of privacy... when men and natural-born males are in our locker rooms and they are showering in the morning, natural-born females can walk in there as they please. And that is not OK. And it goes against what we believe in."
Another male student echoed similar sentiments, expressing his desire to change after football practice without feeling uncomfortable due to the presence of other genders. He also empathized with the discomfort that girls might feel in similar situations.
A third male student described the current policy as "very uncomfortable." A female student claimed that many girls, including herself, have stopped using the school's restrooms due to safety concerns, alleging that the district has been ignoring their fears.
One student expressed his disappointment that more students did not participate in the walkout, while another student suggested that fear of backlash kept some students from joining the protest.
In response to the protest, the district stated to WJLA, "The Loudoun County School Board is continuing to follow its established process in its review of the latest Model Policies issued by the Virginia Department of Education. Policy 8040 is in review along with the new Model Policies, by the Student Services Committee."
The students reportedly told the news outlet that teachers had discouraged the walkout, despite previously encouraging students to participate in a 2022 pro-LGBTQ+ walkout to protest Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The district faced controversy in 2021 when a female student was sexually assaulted by a male student wearing a skirt in a girls' restroom at an LCPS school.
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