Reply to Thoughts on Rives or Sutton for APS SB?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"Nuance" is how "anti" groups attempt to veil their biases. But if you ask certain churches that claim "all are welcome" if they have gay people in leadership roles or if they would perform a wedding for a couple in which one member is nonbinary, you find out the truth pretty fast, assuming you can pry a yes-no answer out of them.

Does Rives think a school's first duty is to the well-being of the student, or should parental preferences outweigh that?[/quote]

I mean his answer in the Patch re: Youngkin's anti-trans policies should be enough. Examine the differences in both candidates answers. Note Rives is short. Doesn't offer any support for LGBTQ students and defaults to "the courts." He mentions "best care" without mentioning any description of that. It is an answer given by a politician who is carefully wording his statement when his personal beliefs don't align with the voting population.

[b]Rives: [/b]I want every student to be welcomed and treated with respect and kindness. I also want every child to get the best professional care available when needed. I expect the courts will have to rule on whether some of the new model policies are consistent with Virginia anti-discrimination laws.

[b]Sutton:[/b] I am deeply concerned about the impact of the Governor’s proposed new policy targeting our LGBTQ+ youth. As a School Board member, I will be committed to continuing and improving APS’s efforts to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all students.

Sadly, LGBTQ+ students are much more likely than their peers not to earn a high school diploma — an unacceptable outcome for a school system. The drivers for that outcome include conditions that we work to mitigate for every other student, including homelessness, bullying, harassment, hostile environments, exclusion and lack of support. All students benefit from policies and practices that promote dignity and a strong sense of belonging.

While I believe that parents should be partners with our schools in the education of our children, I do not support state-level policies that elevate “parents’ rights” above the professional role that teachers and staff play in educating children. It is critical that our community come together in support of the mental and emotional health of LGBTQ+ students. Policies such as that proposed by the Virginia Governor are in direct opposition to providing that support. (APS has information available to support empowering members of the community to help themselves or others who may be in distress or crisis.)[/quote]

Rives gave a similar non-answer when asked at the Black Parents of Arlington forum whether he thought the APS J2 policy implementation procedure protects trans kids. He said something like, "I have no reason to think it doesn't protect them." He was visibly uncomfortable with the question and avoided saying whether he supports the policy.[/quote]

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