Note: This is the fourth in a five-part series featuring Virginians whose rights would be directly affected by anti-LGBT bills now under consideration in the state legislature. All writers participated in a joint news conference held by the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia at the Virginia Capitol on Jan. 19, 2016. It reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of the ACLU of Virginia.
MTB2By Michael Thorne-Begland Vice President for ROSMY and LGBTQ Youth Organization
Founded in 1991 in Richmond, Virginia, ROSMY’s mission is to ensure equal opportunities for success for Virginia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth through access to support, education, and advocacy. ROSMY continues to be the only organization in the area that directly addresses the unique needs and the healthy social development of LGBTQ youth ages 11-20. It offers weekly youth support meetings, sensitivity training for professionals, educational resources, youth leadership initiatives.
You can find additional information about ROSMY at www.ROSMY.ORG
Martin Luther King said that darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
So today we are here to shine a light on the attempts of several lawmakers to enshrine in the laws of the Commonwealth a narrow, ignorant view of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
In the past several years - truth has been on the march – in this Commonwealth and around the country. In her triumph over ignorance, truth has repeatedly shown us that all Virginians are created equal. Every lesbian girl, every gay boy, every bisexual youth and every transgender child is created equal. That simple truth, unsettling to some, will no longer be denied.
The onslaught of proposals to enshrine anti-gay bias in our laws is a reaction to this simple truth and highlights the darkness that grips some Virginians – a darkness fueled by lies passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.
Victoria Cobb and others say Virginia’s LGBT youth are broken – ignoring the amazing lives of tens of thousands of LGBT youth in Virginia who each day show us LGBT youth are just as capable, just as successful, just as kind and human and goofy and caring and smart and driven as their peers.
Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.
They say Virginia’s LGBT youth are predators and a threat to other youth – ignoring statistics that show LBGT youth are much more likely to be bullied than their straight and cisgender counterparts.
Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.
They say a trans-child’s need to use a bathroom appropriate for their gender places other youth at risk – fabricating deranged scenarios where such an act – using a bathroom appropriate for your gender, creates risk for others.
Theirs is a lie passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.
They say that laws like those proposed this year aren’t about discriminating; they are about protecting. These are the same people who said the institution of marriage would be devalued if our marriages were fully recognized. They said our military would be less effective if we allowed our LGBT soldiers to serve honestly. They say that religious freedoms will be trampled if LGBT Virginian’s enjoy the same rights as others.
These are their lies, passionately preached by some and eagerly repeated by the small-minded.
Truth, in the hearts and minds of Virginians and etched on the pages of our recent past, has shown Victoria Cobb and others like her for what they are. And year after year, their darkness is leaving our schools and our churches and our workplaces and our general assembly. It is leaving, but it is not gone. Their darkness will not be driving out with darkness, but with light.
So today we are here to shine a light on the attempts of several lawmakers to enshrine in the laws of the Commonwealth, a narrow, ignorant view of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, and speak our simple, undeniable truth that
We support the efforts of the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia and other fair-minded Virginians who support equality for all.

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