As a sophomore at Oakton High School, Rivka Vizcardo-Lichter would rather be worrying about things like driver’s education. But after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration released Friday he is rolling back transgender student accommodations in all state schools, she now finds herself having to take part in the game of political ping-pong.
Vizcardo-Lichter is the leader of the student-run organization Pride Liberation Project, as well as a member of the LGBTQ community. She told 7News that around 500 students have already reached out to her to express their concerns.
“I’ve spoken to students that are terrified that these protections will be removed and that their peers will be put at risk for depression, harassment, suicide,” Vizcardo-Lichter said. “These proposed regulations are only going to hurt the mental health of transgender students. Using a student’s true pronoun and name has consistently been shown to prevent suicide and depression. Denying that autonomy to students only worsens the mental health crisis.”
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