Virginia’s congressional Democrats clashed with their Republican counterparts and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) over the Old Dominion’s new transgender policy at a Monday meeting of the entire delegation.
As Breitbart News reported, Youngkin scrapped the Democrat-implemented policy on transgender students, replacing it with one that focuses on parental rights and student safety. The new policy was the source of controversy among the delegation at their monthly bipartisan meeting.
Once the policy came up, Reps. Bob Good (R-05) and Abigail Spanberger (D-07) began a heated exchange, according to the Washington Post.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10), whose niece or nephew identifies as being transgender, also expressed concerns and has previously called the new policy “a vile and disgusting attack on vulnerable trans kids” saying that Youngkin “should be ashamed.”
Her concerns are mental health ones, where, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the two percent of high school students identifying as transgender, around 35 percent attempt suicide. According to the Post, Spanberger and Rep. Don Beyer (D-08) added to Wexton’s arguments.
Youngkin defended his policy, saying that parents have the right to be involved with what their children are learning in school as well as the right to know about the state of their child’s health regarding gender dysphoria and gender transitions.
Good also defended the policy, telling the congressional critics that schools should not facilitate child gender transitions and further argued that children dealing with gender dysphoria are suicidal “because of grooming” from teachers and staff. He further iterated that children are being “forced” to undergo genital mutilation surgeries and to take drugs that permanently chemically castrate the user.
“That’s not fucking true,” Spanberger told Good. Good responded by doubling down, and, according to the Post, the room became heated.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D), a Catholic, reportedly stopped the exchanges to recite a Bible verse, Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Good confirmed the exchange to Punchbowl News, saying Spanberger “attacked the governor with hostility and intensity for his common-sense … policies that he’s just released that protect children and protect parents from those who would seek to encourage a child to question his or her gender without parent knowledge.”
Attacking the broader Democrat party and their gender theory movement, Good continued, “This is the party that believes not only in grooming and encouraging gender confusion of elementary and middle school students – which is up some 4,000 percent from just a couple years ago because of what is happening in our schools — but this is also the party that supports the surgical procedures on minor children. Irreversible, harmful procedures. Mutilation of children.”
A statement from a spokesman for Spanberger was somewhat less direct, saying the congresswoman “always appreciates the opportunity to have a candid conversation with the Governor about the issues facing Virginia’s Seventh District.”
“Separately, she will always stand up against conspiracy theories that harm or attack Virginia’s students, their parents, and their educators — as was the case when one of her congressional colleagues did just that,” the statement continued.
Good supports a measure put forth by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that would make genital mutilation, puberty blockers, and other hormone treatments on children a felony. Good says these procedures and drugs are child abuse and they are the source of high suicide rates among children identifying as transgender.
Youngkin’s model policies for children identifying as transgender and parental rights will begin a 30-day public comment period on September 26.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.