The ongoing right-wing obsession with transgender children has taken yet another turn following a Virginia teacher's dramatic resignation in protest of her district's trans-inclusive policies.
After voicing her disgruntlement with the policies at the Loudon County School Board meeting Wednesday, teacher and self-described "believer in Christ" Laura Morris publicly resigned her position and urged others to do the same.
Morris's move came during a school district meeting to vote on the new trans-inclusive policies. See her comments below, beginning at the 3:39:27 mark.
Loudoun Co. School Board Meetingyoutu.be
The district's new trans-inclusive rules makes requirement that have become standard features of such policies around the country.
They require that trans students' proper names and gender pronouns be used and respected, that they be allowed to use bathrooms and play on sports teams that accord with their gender identity, and that staff complete training sessions related to issues LGBTQ+ students face.
Trafficking in the usual right-wing Christian rhetoric, Morris castigated the school district's move for supposedly pushing a political agenda, while pushing her own political and religious agenda.
First, Morris said that the school district's "political ideologies" do not "square with who I am as a believer in Christ." Notably, the Bible does not mention transgender people; Jesus Christ never spoke about them either, to our knowledge.
Morris then moved on to every conservative's favorite chestnut: She asserted that the school was discriminating against her, a grown woman, by not allowing her to discriminate against literal children.
"Within the last year, I was told in one of my so-called equity trainings that white Christian able-bodied females currently have the power in our schools, and that quote, 'this has to change'."
"You've made your point. You no longer value me, or many other teachers you've employed in this county. So... I thought it necessary to resign in front of you."
Morris then tearfully tendered her resignation.
"School board, I quit. I quit your policies, I quit your trainings, and I quit being a cog in a machine that tells me to push highly politicized agendas on our most vulnerable constituents – the children."
"I will find employment elsewhere. I encourage all parents and staff in this county to flood the private schools."
On Twitter, many had no sympathy for Morris, and were glad to see her resign.
Good. If she can't even bring herself to use somebody's name she has no business being a teacher.https://twitter.com/PinkNews/status/1425811614905688064\u00a0\u2026— Max Has Nightmare Eyes (@Max Has Nightmare Eyes) 1628784501
"Claiming that the trans-inclusive policy goes against her views as \u201ca believer in Christ"\n\nLook, if you believe Jesus can make water transition into wine and that his body transitioned into a bunch of tasty crackers you can call students by their names.\n\nOnly hate remains.— Alex - Fold Up Toy Designer\u2702\ufe0f\ud83d\udce6 (@Alex - Fold Up Toy Designer\u2702\ufe0f\ud83d\udce6) 1628791283
Honestly cannot believe I've just read this. If a student is Jane on Friday then john on Monday. Can you imagine what the STUDENT has been though. The bravery, pain and honesty. I think this lady should be sacked no benefits nothing. Quitting is too easy for her. Shame on her— Dawn-Marie Smith (@Dawn-Marie Smith) 1628778065
If she\u2019s really a Christian she would know god wants you to respect everyone seriously, don\u2019t people even think about what their god would really want and try to use those lies as an excuse to make him sound bad? I\u2019m sure there are more religious then gay people in hell— AsieDreemurr (@AsieDreemurr) 1628780259
So she quit because she can't be bothered to respect students. She is in the wrong field, then, and should find a new position.— Carrie Elizabeth \ud83c\udf0a (@Carrie Elizabeth \ud83c\udf0a) 1628779549
She wanted to bully children and cried/resigned at being told not to, is the tl;dr here. She just needed to use the right words and instead she chose to be cruel and was stopped. Bully dispatched and a new job opening for a better teacher opens.— Michael JB (@Michael JB) 1628782797
I'm an educator (or was, before epilepsy made me unhirable), and I simply cannot imagine refusing to show the most basic, common courtesy - calling someone by the name that defines them. I wish this woman well, but it's better for the students that she isn't there anymore, imho.— Girl With Curl (@Girl With Curl) 1628775466
pic.twitter.com/fJxbbYJKG9— Sarah Power (@Sarah Power) 1628777012
Oh no, she cried? (/s)pic.twitter.com/KtH0hQPNgd— Magpie\ud83e\udec0 (@Magpie\ud83e\udec0) 1628775427
Loudon County's new trans-inclusive policies passed by a 7-2 vote shortly after Morris's speech.
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