Yes, you read that correctly. A VA Democrat has proposed, for the second time, a bill that would criminalize parents who refuse to recognize or affirm their child’s gender transition or LGBTQ status.

Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman (D) told WJLA Thursday that she would introduce a bill in the next legislative session that would expand the state’s definition of child abuse and neglect to include parents who do not “affirm” their child’s preferred gender identity or sexual orientation. Parents charged under the proposed statute could face felony charges and would lose custody of their children.

It is a genuine bill that was originally proposed in 2020. Of those sponsors, most of them lost their reelection bids. Yet one Delegate, Elizabeth Guzman, is going all in with the same text of the 2020 bill. 

Here is the text of the bill first introduced in 2020. More than just @guzman4virginia sponsoring. They plan to re-introduce. pic.twitter.com/3YGmRCcLTk

— Ian Prior (@iandprior) October 13, 2022

The bill text reads as follows: 

or (ii) whose parent or other person responsible for his care creates or inflicts, threatens to create or inflict, or allows to be created or inflicted upon such child a physical or mental injury on the basis of the child’s gender identity or sexual orientation. 

In other words, a child under the age of 18 can announce to an adult such as a teacher or medical professional that their parents don’t or won’t let them transition or be LGBTQ and that adult (a mandated reporter) must turn those parents in for child abuse!

This legislation was brought back to the table by an activist Delegate who is a social worker. She is reintroducing the bill in the next legislative session solely to clap back at Governor Youngkin’s new policy requiring students use the bathrooms of their BIRTH gender. 

Governor Youngkin is correct. Children do NOT belong to the state. As Congressman Burgess Owens points out here, it is the parents who are the stakeholders in their children’s lives, NOT the state. 

Upon questioning, Guzman says it would be up to the state, AFTER an investigation to decide what kind of penalty would be imposed. It could be a felony or misdemeanor. She also says that Child Protective Services would have every right to threaten the parents jobs or future employment with this. 

There are instances like this happening all around the country. Parents are speaking up loudly about the gender identity and grooming pushes going on in the schools and communities.

Muslim parents in Dearborn, Michigan (Rashida Tlaib’s district) are expressing their outrage over LGBTQ books in school libraries. 

Rows over LGBTQ literature in school libraries took a new turn this week, as conservative Muslims joined like-minded Christians in Dearborn, Michigan, in a board meeting that turned to protest.

A board meeting at Dearborn Public Schools broke out into open demonstration, with chants of “vote them out” recorded and shared on social media.

The significant influx of Muslim supporters in Dearborn marks a notable shift in the communities advocating censorship of what is perceived as sexualized or taboo subjects in schools, which hereto has been typified by predominantly white Christian conservatives.

Boy howdy, that’s not slanted at all is it? 

Shouting between various factions as groups take over Dearborn public schools board meeting. Board members have left. Unclear if they are coming back or if meeting will restart. Heavy police presence. pic.twitter.com/XIMEqIRR1X

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) October 11, 2022

What’s notable about this is two things: One, LGBTQ is definitely taboo within the Muslim culture and two, the number of fathers in the audience is significant. Yet, if this were Virginia and that proposed law was passed, those fathers could face charges.

However, as we’ve noted in the past, many Moms have been the leaders in uncovering the grooming issues within the schools and communities.  

https://twitter.com/BrittRooted/status/1580065815059046400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1580065815059046400%7Ctwgr%5E49850efbd16ae99c6a8b7e1ea0d5c676b58cc6e0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpjmedia.com%2Fculture%2Flincolnbrown%2F2022%2F10%2F14%2Fdont-poke-the-momma-bear-n1637179

Parents want to protect their children. They want their children to grow and thrive. But in Virginia, some legislators want parents taken out of the equation altogether. In Maryland, this gender fad (and yes, it is a life-damaging fad) has led to a 582% increase in less than two years of gender confused children in Montgomery County Schools. Notable is that there’s a school guideline in place that allows the students to keep this information private from their parents unless student says their parents are supportive of their gender confusion. THEN and ONLY THEN can parents be informed and involved. 

With this Virginia legislation, parents who may want to get their child counseling to determine if their gender confusion is real or if the child is just following the current fad, could end up being turned in to Child Protective Services for child abuse. 

Delegate Elizabeth Guzman insists she’s not here to judge you. It doesn’t matter if the parent’s objection is grounded in reality or is faith based, Guzman says. 

“I’ve been asked that question by knocking on doors,” Guzman answered. “The Bible says to accept everyone for who they are. So that’s what I tell them when they asked me that question, and that’s what I will continue to tell people. You know, we all have a commitment to God. And for those believers out there, we know that there’s life after life, and there is going to be a conversation between that person and God and that’s what we’re after — to go by what the Bible says. It is not my job to judge anyone. It is my job to help people.”

In other words, she wants to “help people” by criminalizing parents who either object to or have concerns about their child’s gender identity. 

One last note, this from the reporter who interviewed Guzman for the WJLA story. 

Minutes after our story published, I texted Guzman the story & I thanked her for speaking with us. She “liked” my text. But nearly 24 hours later she called the story misleading? If that’s what she thought, why didn’t she immediately call me to “clarify” what she said on camera? https://t.co/vu9PTiZWr4

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) October 15, 2022

In the original interview, Guzman insisted parents would have no problem with this legislation. Within 24 hours she was “clarifying” her remarks. 

Feature Photo Credit: Man, Woman Restroom sign via Pixabay, cropped and modified