Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger’s campaign is boosting an ad attempting to defuse one of her Republican opponent’s attacks: that Spanberger supports allowing men in women’s intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, if they claim a transgender identity.
“I’m Abigail Spanberger, mom to three girls in public school,” the ad begins. “Nothing matters more to me than the safety of all our kids, and as a law enforcement officer, I went after child predators, so it really angers me to hear these lies about who I am.”
“I believe we need to get politics out of our schools, and trust parents and local communities,” Spanberger, a former member of Congress, adds in the ad. “As a mom and as your governor, I will be focused on making our schools the best in the nation.”
Does Spanberger’s record support her rhetoric here?
What Is the ‘Lie’?
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Spanberger’s Republican opponent, has repeatedly attacked the Democrat for supporting transgender policies. In September, Earle-Sears’ campaign released an ad claiming Spanberger voted “to allow men in girls’ sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms.”
The ad highlights Richard Cox, a convicted sex offender. Arlington County Public Schools reportedly allowed Cox to use girls’ locker rooms at two high schools late last year, because he identified himself as a transgender female.
Spanberger appears to object to the notion that she prioritizes transgender policies over the safety of women and girls.
Spanberger’s Record
The Earle-Sears ad cites Spanberger’s votes for H.R. 5, “The Equality Act” on May 17, 2019 and on Feb. 25, 2021.
Spanberger did not just support this legislation, she co-sponsored it in 2019, 2021, and 2023. She voted for the legislation each time the House considered it.
The Equality Act would amend federal civil rights legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, inserting new language into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which desegregated public schools.
Not only did Spanberger for the Equality Act, but she also criticized Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., over his model policies bringing parental rights into discussions of transgender identity in schools.
“Governor Youngkin released a plan to target LGBTQ children in Virginia schools,” Spanberger wrote in 2021. “His mandate will out kids, require their identities not be respected, and hurt them in the very places where they are supposed to learn and thrive.”
As for “outing” kids, the policy states that “schools shall defer to parents to make the best decisions with respect to their children,” regarding health care, names, pronouns, counseling, and social transition at school. It seems Spanberger’s major concern is that schools would disclose a child’s stated transgender identity to his or her parents, as that is the only “outing” the guidelines suggest.
Does Spanberger oppose schools notifying parents if their kids identify as transgender at school?
While Spanberger did not specifically address the Youngkin policies’ suggestion that schools segregate sports based on biological sex, rather than gender identity, she reiterated her voting record on transgender issues.
“In Congress, I have been a stalwart supporter of LGBTQ rights, the Equality Act, and marriage equality,” she added.
Transgender activist groups such as the Human Rights Campaign have endorsed Spanberger in the gubernatorial race, in part due to these stances.
Insistence on Local Control
Despite her record, Spanberger has repeatedly suggested that she supports parents and schools deciding on a local level whether bathrooms and locker rooms should be open to members of the opposite sex who identify as transgender.
“On issues related to what’s happening in our schools and each individual community, I think it’s important that we have parents and teachers and administrators making decisions about their individual schools, not politicians,” she said when pressed on the issue during the debate with Earle-Sears last week.
Spanberger said that “there should never be nude men in locker rooms,” but she did not clarify whether she would rescind Gov. Youngkin’s policy preventing men from accessing girls’ facilities.
Her campaign website does not clarify her position, either. “As governor, she will work to safeguard the rights of all Virginians and make sure that no member of the LGBTQ community is denied government services, discriminated against, or loses a job because of who they are,” the website states.
The Spanberger campaign did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment about whether she now prioritizes safety over the Equality Act. The campaign did not respond when asked if Spanberger would unequivocally state that she opposes opening girls’ intimate spaces to men.
