FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.—A Democratic Virginia state delegate has backed down from introducing legislation to expand the definition of child abuse to include inflicting “physical or mental injury” on children because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
In her interview with local ABC7 on Oct. 13, state Del. Elizabeth Guzman (D-Prince William) said that under the proposed legislation, parents who don’t affirm their children’s choice of gender identity could incur Child Protective Services (CPS) charges that might cause harm to the parents’ employment.
Guzman noted that she wanted to do this to counter the transgender student policy recently released by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The draft policy requires public schools to acquire written parental consent before treating a student as a different gender.
“Children are scared. Governor Youngkin and Republicans are putting LGBTQ kids at serious risk of harm and homelessness by encouraging schools to out children to their parents,” Guzman said in a Twitter post on Oct. 14. She didn’t respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Children are scared. Governor Youngkin and Republicans are putting LGBTQ kids at serious risk of harm and homelessness by encouraging schools to out children to their parents. 4/
— Elizabeth Guzman (@guzman4virginia) October 14, 2022
On the same day, Virginia House Minority Leader Don Scott Jr., a Democrat, said he spoke to Guzman, and she had assured him that she wouldn’t introduce the reported legislation. He also called the measure “unnecessary” and “a distraction” to key congressional races in Virginia.
Stacy Langton, a Fairfax County mother of six and a Republican, has been fighting to remove obscene books in the county school libraries.
“I would like to take this moment to thank Delegate Guzman for committing the Terry McAuliffe gaffe for the 2022 midterm elections,” she told The Epoch Times.
She was referring to former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s debate comment that’s generally believed to have cost him a second term.
“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” McAuliffe said in September 2021, during the early voting period of the gubernatorial election.
“Thank you for winning us all the elections in Virginia.” Langton said “Literally, the damage is done. She can’t undo what she did. And she just did a Terry McAuliffe-size gaffe! It’s Terry McAuliffe part two! Terry McAuliffe 2.0!”
By Terri Wu
