Youngkin blasts Democrat's bill to criminalize parents who don't affirm child's gender identity: 'Out of step'

The battle over parental rights in Virginia's public schools continues as Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R., slammed Democrat Del. Elizabeth Guzman's proposed bill to make it illegal for parents to not affirm their transgender child's gender identity. 

"What we saw is a clear statement of what the progressive liberals believe. They believe if parents try to be parents they should be investigated," Youngkin said, according to WSET-TV in Lynchburg.

"We saw Attorney General Garland out of the U.S. government investigating parents for standing up at board meetings. We saw my opponent last year stand up and say parents don’t have the right to see what’s being taught in classrooms," he added. 

Guzman said she plans to introduce the bill that could potentially hit parents who refuse to affirm their child's sexual orientation or gender identity with misdemeanor or felony in the state's upcoming legislative session, ABC affiliate WJLA-TV reported last week.

VIRGINIA GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN TOUTS NEW TRANSGENDER POLICIES AFTER PROTESTS: ‘PARENTS HAVE TO BE INVOLVED’

The dustup follows other state controversies concerning Virginia parental rights and involvement in their children's education as state Democrats launch attacks at Youngkin for alleged bigotry and Youngkin fires back with accusations that his opponents seek to "lock parents out of their children's lives." The governor defended new policies that will require public school students to use bathrooms and join sports teams based on their biological sex, as opposed to their gender identity. 

Guzman reportedly told WJLA that Youngkin's transgender youth policies compelled her to respond with the proposed bill.

"The day that Gov. Youngkin wanted to implement this policy, I immediately texted the policy lead of that committee and said, 'this is how we're going to push back,'" she said, according to the outlet. 

VIRGINIA'S YOUNGKIN DEFENDS TRANS YOUTH POLICIES: KIDS ‘DON’T BELONG TO THE STATE'

Youngkin, who has long championed parental rights in education in his state, defended the new rule in a recent interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, saying, "parents have a fundamental right to be engaged in their children's lives… children have a right to have parents engaged in their lives.

"We needed to fix a wrong. The previous administration had had a policy that excluded parents and, in fact, particularly didn't require the involvement of parents. And let's be clear, parents have this right and children don't belong to the state, they belong to families."

In a statement sent to Fox News, Youngkin said the bill pushes "exactly what the progressive liberal Democrats believe."

VIRGINIA STUDENT ACTIVISTS PROTEST GOV. YOUNGKIN'S PROPOSED TRANSGENDER POLICIES

"They are so out of step with Virginians and their desire to have a primary role in their children's lives. We know that parents matter in Virginia and parents across the political spectrum spoke loudly last year, and they're speaking loudly again now," he said.

"This is why I believe that we have such momentum for so many of the things that we're doing and why I think in November, voters are going to stand up and send a very clear message."

WJLA detailed that Guzman is a social worker, and she elected to expand Virginia's state definition of child abuse to also encompass parents who refuse to affirm their child's LGBTQ+ identity.

"If the child shares with those mandated reporters, what they are going through, we are talking about not only physical abuse or mental abuse, what the job of that mandated reporter is to inform Child Protective Services (CPS)," Guzman told the outlet. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"And then that's how everybody gets involved. There's also an investigation in place that is not only from a social worker but there's also a police investigation before we make the decision that there is going to be a CPS charge," she added.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.