Officials working for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) recently removed resources for LGBTQ+ youth from a government health website. This action came after a right-wing media outlet raised questions about these resources. According to reports from The Virginia Mercury and The Washington Post, internal emails from the Virginia Department of Health reveal that the removal was prompted by an inquiry from the conservative Daily Wire outlet, co-founded by Ben Shapiro. The inquiry specifically targeted two programs, Queer Kid Stuff and Q Chat Space, which provided support and resources for LGBTQ youth.
Within hours of the inquiry, the entire webpage, which featured numerous other resources, was taken down from the Health Department website. The order to remove the page was given by the office of John Littel, the Secretary of the state’s Health and Human Resources. This decision was made without input from the experts in the field, raising concerns among department staff about the politically motivated nature of the decision.
The Daily Wire later published an article criticizing the programs. The controversy surrounding the removal of these resources highlights an ongoing and extensive effort by the GOP to curtail the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. Republicans have been pushing for restrictions on healthcare access for transgender children, excluding them from school sports teams, and attacking events like drag shows.
The spokesperson for Governor Youngkin defended the removal of resources, citing the governor’s commitment to restoring parental rights. The spokesperson emphasized that parents should play a central role in their child’s life and argued against facilitating anonymous conversations between adults and children without parental approval. The spokesperson also confirmed that other aspects of the health website are under review.
This incident in Virginia adds to a broader pattern of legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ rights across the country. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made opposition to teachers discussing sexuality a cornerstone of his presidential campaign. These actions reflect ongoing efforts by conservative politicians to roll back the progress made in LGBTQ+ equality.
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