—Rolled back protections for LGBTQ students that had been implemented by prior administrations. His new anti-LGBTQ directive to 133 school districts include: barring transgender students from using bathrooms, locker rooms, or participate in sports teams consistent with their gender identity; prohibiting students from using names and pronouns, if it differs from official records, without parent approval; and requiring teachers disclose information about a student’s gender to their parents, a provision that could lead to harm if students are in unsupportive home environments. Previous guidance from Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration directed schools to allow students’ use of names and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity, and urged schools to consider sharing information about students’ gender identity with parents on a “case-by-case” basis that took the health and safety of children into account.
—Authorized the taking down of a resource page for LGBTQ youths on the Virginia Department of Health website after an inquiry from a conservative news outlet. The removal is part of a pattern of removals sharply criticized by public health employees who were not consulted prior to the removal of the resource page, and who say their work is being politicized. “Youngkin’s administration has at least three times in the year and a half since he took office removed information from the website without consulting its own subject-matter experts, records show, stripping public health resources on abortions, sexual health and pregnancy, among other issues, as he remakes state policy after eight years of Democratic control,” reports the Washington Post.
—As a candidate for governor was endorsed by the anti-LGBTQ group Family Research Council Action, which criticized the platform of his opponent, Terry McAuliffe, to protect LGBTQ communities and students. FRC is identified as an LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which notes its long history of spreading harmful lies and misinformation about LGBTQ people.
—Appeared at a gala hosted by the so-called Family Foundation, which filed a lawsuit challenging Virginia state policy protecting transgender students, and which has supported discredited and dangerous “therapy” that falsely claims people can change their sexual orientation or gender identity. The anti-LGBTQ legal group Alliance Defending Freedom was a sponsor of the gala where Youngkin appeared.
—Refused to say he supports marriage equality, in an interview with the Associated Press, which has been legal nationwide for more than six years and is supported by 70% of Americans.
—Spoke out during a gubernatorial debate to support two parents who criticized LGBTQ-inclusive books at Fairfax High School libraries as “homoerotic.” Youngkin called the books, written for 12–18 year olds, “sexually explicit.” “What we’ve seen over the last twenty months is our school systems refusing to engage with parents,” Youngkin said, inaccurately, as school boards have in fact been hearing from parents who support transgender students and policies to protect their safety in schools, in addition to people from outside the districts who oppose such policies. Youngkin continued, “In Fairfax County this past week, we watched parents so upset because there was sexually explicit material in the library, they had never seen, it was shocking.” The books in question have been questioned are Lawn Boy and Gender Queer. Both books feature LGBTQ characters and were recently honored by the American Library Association for their appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18.
—Supported a Loudoun County public school teacher who refused to recognize pronouns of transgender students, falsely claiming the teacher’s views are “in the best interest of the children.” Research shows that trans and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected. LGBTQ youth who had access to spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity reported lower rates of attempting suicide. The teacher is being legally represented by anti-LGBTQ activist group Alliance Defending Freedom, which has filed false claims in lawsuits against transgender students, supported criminalizing LGBTQ people, misrepresented, misgendered and targeted transgender students and is listed as a an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
—Said he does not support allowing transgender children to play on sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity.
—Told a mother he is opposed to allowing transgender students to participate in sports in alignment with their true identity, claiming: “Biological males should not be allowed to play sports in girls sports. It’s just not fair.”
—Helped fuel Donald Trump’s “big lie” about so-called “election fraud” by refusing to say that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Youngkin’s first major policy proposal was the launch of an “Election Integrity Task Force.” Youngkin is calling for a number of changes, including requiring voters to show ID in order to cast a vote. Voter ID laws have been shown to disproportionately impact people of color, as well as the transgender community.
—Expressed support for religious exemption laws that provide a license to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. He criticized a tweet by Gov. Terry McAuliffe—who vetoed anti-LGBTQ exemption laws in both 2016 and 2017—which condemned such laws and called to “expand protections for LGBTQ+ Virginians, not dismantle them.”
—Pledged to use “every ounce of authority I have” if elected to “protect Virginians’ First Amendment right to freely live out their faith.” Anti-LGBTQ activists have used religious beliefs to argue for the right to discriminate. Polls show 76% of Americans support laws protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, including support from Americans of all faith groups, ages and races. GLAAD research shows up to 91% of Americans believe it should be illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people. 70% of Americans oppose allowing religiously affiliated agencies receiving taxpayer funding to refuse to accept qualified same-sex couples seeking to adopt or foster a child.