In a demonstration of discontent with their school district’s transgender bathroom policy, nearly 100 students at Woodgrove High School in Purcellville, Virginia, walked out of school on Wednesday. They are demanding the reversal of the policy, known as 8040, which allows transgender-identifying students to use the locker rooms and bathrooms of their choice. The protest was organized by the students who argue that the policy poses significant safety risks and invades their privacy.
The controversy surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and its transgender policy began in June 2021 when the district publicly denied an alleged assault of a girl by a boy in a girls’ bathroom. The incident sparked outrage among parents and the community. Subsequently, in August 2021, the school board passed Policy 8040, which permits transgender students to choose the restroom and locker room facilities that align with their gender identity.
One female student participating in the walkout expressed her concerns, stating, “It’s a massive safety risk, and they [LCPS] don’t do anything about it.” She went on to say that they were tired of being “ignored” by the school district, and their concerns were being dismissed as the voice of “Right-wing crazies.” She emphasized that their primary goal was not to be in danger on a daily basis while at school.
According to this student, many girls at the school have stopped using the bathrooms due to fears for their safety. “I stopped using them [the bathrooms] because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me in there,” she said. “I’m telling you right now, half the women in this building feel the same way. We don’t use the bathrooms. We hold our pee until we can’t.”
A male student echoed these sentiments, expressing discomfort at the prospect of sharing a locker room with biological females. He pointed out the need for separate facilities, saying, “I would like to be able when I get off football practice and go put my pads away and change not feel uncomfortable with other genders in there watching me.”
BREAKING: High school students in Virginia staged a walk-out protest, calling on their school board to reinstate separate bathrooms for boys and girls. pic.twitter.com/tYByEmkj8y
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) November 2, 2023
Another male student voiced concerns about the privacy invasion in locker rooms. He explained, “In the locker rooms in the morning, it’s an invasion of privacy because 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.”
