Equality Arlington Signs Joint Letter Urging Attorney General-Elect Jones to Protect Transgender Students in Northern Virginia

Dear Attorney General-Elect Jay Jones,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with families of transgender and nonbinary students in Northern Virginia. We appreciate the commitment the Attorney General-elect has shown to protecting our kids in the face of ongoing threats from the federal administration.

To thrive at school and to simply be themselves, our kids need the Attorney General to stand up for them. The non-discrimination policies that protect transgender and nonbinary students in our schools are critical to the wellbeing of our kids. And yet the U.S. Department of Education has cruelly and aggressively come after the policies of five Northern Virginia school districts (Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County) and will likely not stop at these districts. These non-discrimination policies ensure that students can use the appropriate bathroom and locker room, will have their pronouns and names respected, and will be protected from bullying. Our families articulated the harm our kids would experience if these policies were rescinded in an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit Arlington Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools filed against the Department of Education to preserve their non-discrimination policies from federal overreach. We are requesting that the Attorney General-elect take the following actions, once he assumes office, to support our school districts and protect our kids.

First, we ask that the Attorney General immediately seek to amend the amicus brief submitted at the end of the outgoing Attorney General’s term in the case before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals filed by Arlington Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools (combined cases 25-2107 and 25-2087). We are asking that the previous amicus brief be rewritten to support the rights of transgender and nonbinary students to be protected from discrimination in Virginia public schools. The oral argument in this case is scheduled for January 29, 2026.

Second, we ask that the Attorney General prepare for affirmative litigation in the event that the school districts' suit against the U.S. Department of Education is dismissed in the Fourth Circuit. Our school districts are standing up for their values of inclusion and non-discrimination, but they need the unwavering and vocal support of our elected Virginia leaders, including the Attorney General’s office.

We also urge the Attorney General to speak out against the attacks on transgender and nonbinary kids and to work with Democratic attorneys general in other states to coordinate responses to threats to school non-discrimination policies, sports participation, and health care access. The Attorney General’s legislative staff should consider support for Equality Virginia’s 2026 legislative priorities, which include several bills protecting transgender and non-binary youth. Standing up for continued access to medically necessary gender affirming care is particularly important as federal policies continue to restrict access contrary to clinical and ethical standards of care.

Our families are here to stand with you and are committed to providing information and resources to the incoming Democratic administration in Virginia. Please call on us when you need information or want to better understand the needs of our children. As we said in our meeting, we represent a large network of committed, affirming parents of transgender and non-binary youth in the commonwealth. While our families deeply value privacy, we have developed a community of affirming families who support each other and our kids. Our families want to work together to protect our kids and the kids in non-affirming families. Please come to us as a resource.

Thank you and please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance. We can be reached at agia4students@gmail.com.

Arlington Gender Identity Alliance (Arlington County)

Alexandrians Committed to Equality (Alexandria City)

Defenders of Public Education (Prince William County)

Equality Arlington (Arlington County)

Equality Loudoun (Loudoun County)

FCPS Pride (Fairfax County)

Falls Church City Schools Pride Alliance (Falls Church City)

Loudoun 4 All (Loudoun County)

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