Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging LGBTQ Protections

\Hate merchant Andrea Lafferty

Speaking of special rights for Christofascist, that cause took a major hit yesterday when a Fairfax County Circuit Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by the hate group Traditional Values Coalition, and an unnamed student that challenged the Fairfax County School Board's adoption of policies to ban discrimination against gay and transgender students and staff.  The alleged basis for the lawsuit was the claim that Virginia's existing state law does not include such protections, but the real reason for the lawsuit was outrage over anything that restricted the ability of of Christian extremists to bully and denigrate LGBT individuals.  First and last, these people are self-centered and care nothing for the rights of others.  The Washington Post looks at the development.  Note that Lafferty - who has made a very comfortable living peddling hatred - is represented by the always foul Mat Staver and his hate group, Liberty Counsel. Here are highlights:

A Virginia judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to overturn protections for gay and transgender students in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Andrea Lafferty, the head of the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, and an unnamed student sued the county school board in December in Fairfax County Circuit Court. The lawsuit argued that the board overstepped its authority when it changed its policies to ban discrimination against gay and transgender students and staff because state law does not include such protections. The student said he was “terrified at the thought of having to share intimate spaces with students who have the physical features of a girl, seeing such conduct as an invasion of privacy.”

“We’re very pleased with the Circuit Court of Fairfax County’s decision today to dismiss the lawsuit brought against the School Board by Ms. Lafferty and the other plaintiffs,” said School Board Chairman Pat Hynes (Hunter Mill). “The School Board remains committed to ensuring that all of our students and employees are treated fairly and with dignity and respect.”

Lafferty, reached by phone Friday, said she planned to appeal the dismissal, but referred further comment on the matter to her lawyer. Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, which is representing the student and Lafferty, said the judge dismissed the suit because he said his clients lacked standing.

The Fairfax County School Board voted to change its nondiscrimination policy to include gay students and staff in December 2014. Six months later, the board expanded the policy to bar discrimination based on “gender identity” despite vocal opposition from Lafferty and some parents in the district.

If the case is appealed and goes to the Virginia Supreme Court, I have no confidence that the gutless wonders on the Court will rule to appease Christofascists.  It is after all, the Court that twice ruled to uphold bans on interracial marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down such bans in Loving v. Virginia. 

Fairfax County Schools Adopt LGBT-Supportive Curriculum

In what will hopefully become a statewide trend, the Fairfax County, Virginia School Board has approved an LGBT supportive family life curriculum that will add lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Not surprisingly, some of the usual hate groups were in attendance at the school board meeting to disseminate lies and disinformation, including Andrea Lafferty of Traditional Values Coalition ("TVC"), a Southern Poverty Law Center certified hate group.  For those not familiar with TVC, it disseminates some of the most outrageous and false lies - e.g., that gays are little better than diseased vermin and would be pedophiles - about LGBT individuals of any group.  Thankfully, the school board rejected the lies.  The Washington Blade reports on the development.  Here are highlights:

The Fairfax County School Board voted 10-2 on June 25 to amend the school system’s Family Life Education Curriculum to add lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity that stress support for diversity and respect for LGBT students.

The vote followed a sometimes contentious meeting in which angry opponents of the proposal, including the president of the anti-gay Traditional Values Coalition, denounced it as a radical attempt to normalize homosexuality and “transgenderism.”

Some of the opponents called for the defeat of the 10 board members supporting the curriculum changes in November, when all 12 members of the school board are up for re-election.

“It speaks volumes about the commitment our school board’s 10 Democratic-endorsed members who recognized the importance of affirming LGBT kids and families,” said Northern Virginia gay activist Joshua Israel.

Israel noted that in drafting the curriculum changes a school board committee considered the findings of a recent youth survey that showed lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning youth in Fairfax County have much higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts compared to the general youth population.

School Board Chair Tamara Derenak Kaufax pointed out during the board’s debate over the proposal that parents will have the option to “opt” their child out of any of the lessons to which they object.

Among those speaking against the proposal was Andrea Lafferty, president of the Traditional Values Coalition, a national group founded by her father, the Rev. Louis Sheldon. Many of the more than 200 members of the audience shouted “no” when Lafferty asked whether parents support what she called an ill-conceived proposal to teach kids about homosexuality and “transgenderism.”

Lafferty and other opponents said they were especially concerned that the curriculum changes call for beginning the teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades 7 and 8. Supporters of the changes have said the curriculum additions have been carefully vetted by experts and are “age-appropriate.”

“The recommendations strive to promote an environment free of bias and discrimination,” said James Parrish, executive director of the statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality Virginia.

The vote by the Fairfax School Board to approve the LGBT-supportive changes in the Family Life Education Curriculum came less than two months after the board voted on May 7 to expand the school system’s non-discrimination policy to include protections for transgender students and employees.