Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition spoke with the American Family Association’s Sandy Rios this morning about her group’s campaign to block a proposal in Fairfax County, Virginia, that would add gender identity to the county education system’s nondiscrimination policy.
Lafferty told Rios that “confused” transgender students should only be allowed to use single-occupancy restrooms, while transgender teachers shouldn’t be allowed to teach altogether. “These individuals are psychologically unhealthy and they shouldn’t be teaching in the class,” Lafferty said.
Lafferty cited the high suicide ideation rate among people who identify as transgender as a reason for schools to bar transgender teachers: “We know these people are trouble and they need help, but they shouldn’t be put in the classroom.”
“It’s a scary thing,” Rios said. “It’s frightening and it’s sad and the suicide rate is high and so this is not normal, it never will be normal. It’s harmful and most of all, though, our job is to protect our children. We need to help those that are confused sexually, yes, but we do not help them at the expense of the safety of our kids.”
Rios added that supporters of the measure represent “the face of intimidation and evil.”
