Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is defending his policies regarding transgender students.
During a CNN town hall event on Thursday, a 17-year-old transgender student identified as Niko noted the governor’s policies “require that students play on the sports teams and use the restrooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth.”
Niko asked, “I am a transgender man, do you really think that the girls in my high school would feel comfortable sharing a restroom with me?”
Youngkin responded, “I believe first, when parents are engaged with their children, then you can make good decisions together. And I met your dad, and I’m glad that you’re both here together.”
“I also think that there are lots of students involved in this decision,” he continued adding, “And what’s most important is that we try very hard to accommodate students. That’s why I have said many, many times, we just need extra bathrooms in schools. We need gender-neutral bathrooms so people can use the bathroom that they are, in fact, comfortable with.”
Watch the video below:
CNN had a 17-year-old trans dude ask Glenn Youngkin about school bathrooms and the kid's Dad shook his head when Yougnkin said boys shouldn't play girl's sports. pic.twitter.com/iAcWCJzdP9
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 10, 2023
The governor went on to suggest the issue of sports is “very clear”:
“I don’t think it’s controversial. I don’t think that biological boys should be playing sports with biological girls. There’s been decades of efforts in order to gain opportunities for women in sports. And it’s just not fair. And I think that’s not controversial and something that I think is pretty well understood.”
Last year, Youngkin implemented a policy requiring students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their biological sex and limited sports teams to a student’s biological sex.
It was a reversal from a policy that allowed students to use pronouns and bathrooms that aligned with their gender identity.
He previously defended the measure during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” in Oct. 2022.
“This is not controversial,” the governor insisted as he argued parents should be involved in the bathroom debate.
He argued, “We needed to fix a wrong. The previous administration had a policy that excluded parents and, in fact, particularly didn’t require the involvement of parents.”
While Youngkin insisted his policy is not controversial, it sparked a walkout of more than 1,000 students in protest.
Still, a Roanoke poll released earlier this week found Youngkin has a 57% approval rating in the state.
Additionally, 55% of respondents said the state was on the right track.