Dear John, 

Happy New Year! 2023 will be a critical year for LGBTQ+ Virginians as we work to defend our progress in the General Assembly, expand our pro-equality majority in the Virginia Senate, and regain a majority in the House of Delegates.

Our work begins on Wednesday, January 11th, as we kick-off the 2023 General Assembly session with a legislative briefing to give you the tools, tips and resources you need to move equality forward.

We hope to see you there.

Equality Virginia Staff

 

EV's January Events:

- General Assembly Kick Off
- LGBTQ+ Lobby Days
- January School Board Advocacy Trainings
- Tell the VDOE: Rescind the Anti-Trans Model Policy

 
 

General Assembly Kick-Off: Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights During the 2023 Session - Wednesday, January 11th

Already this year, anti-equality extremists have voiced their intentions to target transgender and nonbinary youth during the Virginia General Assembly by introducing legislation to limit their participation in school sports as well as their access to gender-affirming care. 

Join us on Wednesday, January 11th, for our General Assembly Kick-Off and Legislative Briefing. You’ll learn about the attacks against LGBTQ+ rights we'll be facing during the 2023 Legislative Session and how you can help us protect transgender and nonbinary youth by fighting back and defeating these unpopular and dangerous proposals.

 

LGBTQ+ Lobby Days- January 16th, January 23rd, January 30th

We know that advocating at the legislature can be a burdensome and inaccessible process. That's why this year EV will be expanding its one-time Lobby Day into a series, with a chance to lobby your legislators happening nearly every Monday until the GA session ends on February 25th!

We want to see you there! Click the link below for more information and to fill out our form to indicate your interest in being a Lobby Days participant. We'll use the information you provide us to to plan our lobby prep sessions, structure the focus for each lobby day, and try to schedule meetings with relevant legislators. 

 

January School Board Advocacy Training

It’s 2023 and Equality Virginia is relaunching our Safe Schools training series! In January and February, we will be combining our Advocacy 101 Trainings and Public Comment Workshops into a new virtual School Board Advocacy Training, so that you can get all the info you need in one place!
 
If you’re interested in advocating for safe, affirming school environments for LGBTQ students - especially transgender and nonbinary students - then sign up for our January trainings at the buttons below! We’ll be providing info about what to expect at school board meetings, tips and tricks for giving public comment, and examples of how to structure your remarks. We hope to see you there!

 

Tell VDOE: Rescind Anti-Trans Model Policy

Last month, the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules (JCAR), a bipartisan legislative commission, met to review the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) 2022 draft anti-transgender model policy. Equality Virginia was invited to co-present at the hearing on the impact the policies would have on transgender and nonbinary K-12 students in Virginia public schools. 
 
During the hearing, the VDOE shared that they are still reviewing the public comments but gave no indication or timeline as to when they will complete the review process.
 
As of this moment, the 2022 model policies are still under review and have not yet been finalized. Send a message to the Secretary of Education and Department of Education and urge them to rescind the proposed anti-trans model policies NOW! 

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