Spanberger Faces Backlash Over Women’s Sports Stance

This week, Abigail Spanberger’s campaign for Virginia governor faced criticism from women’s sports advocates. A swimmer suing a local university over a trans athlete’s participation has spoken out. During her initial debate with Republican candidate Winsome Earl Sears, Spanberger was asked if she would revoke current Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that prevents biological males from competing in women’s sports.

Her response gained significant attention.

“In every community, decisions should be made between parents, educators, and teachers, not dictated by politicians,” Spanberger stated. As a mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools, she emphasized the importance of their safety and school experience when discussing her views on transgender issues.

Lily Mullens, a former captain of Roanoke’s women’s swimming team, aired her thoughts on Spanberger’s remarks. Mullens, who led a protest against the team’s handling of trans athletes in 2023 that ended with a press conference and lawsuit, criticized Spanberger’s lack of clarity.

“Youngkin’s hesitance to directly address his policy on protecting Virginia girls undermines confidence in Spanberger’s judgment and integrity. If he can’t denounce this blatant disregard for the rights of girls, he shouldn’t hold any office, especially not as governor,” Mullens expressed.

She remarked that candidates should have a clear stance on issues where a significant majority supports excluding men from women’s spaces, rather than accommodating radical gender ideology.

Mullens also threw her support behind Winsome Sears, who firmly advocates for barring trans athletes from women’s sports, describing her as a pragmatic leader lacking in Spanberger and her party.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has launched an investigation into Roanoke College’s actions regarding the situation with Mullens and other teammates. The inquiry found that the university had violated the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA) by not providing female swimmers with fair accommodations, which affected their mental and physical wellbeing.

“I’ve experienced how it feels when your rights as a woman are disregarded by those in authority. My teammates and I wanted our stories to be heard, but due to the lack of definitive leadership against anti-women agendas, we’ve seen more girls suffer,” Mullens continued. “Virginia desperately needs leaders like Lt. Governor Sears and Governor Miyares. The debate highlighted this urgency.”

Miayres’ report indicated that the university’s policies breached the VHRA, entitling the discriminated female swimmers to seek compensation.

Six female swimmers enrolled in a travel course just days before the press conference, but some expressed discomfort with having a transgender swimmer on the team, according to documents obtained. Following the press conference, their applications were rejected.

The VHRA explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sex, denying accommodations or preferential treatment. Implementing discriminatory policies is illegal under state law.

In response, Roanoke College refuted the allegations of violating students’ human rights or retaliating against them. The administration stated that its policies were stricter than NCAA guidelines, rendering the student ineligible to compete.

According to the report, there wasn’t enough evidence supporting claims that the women were denied opportunities or faced hostility based on their gender. The school insisted that their faculty acted appropriately in selecting students for the May semester courses.

Transgender issues in bathrooms and sports are becoming increasingly prevalent in Virginia. Recently, five Northern Virginia school districts were found by the Department of Education to have violated Title IX by failing to revoke policies that support transgender student rights.

Additionally, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from two districts contesting a Trump administration funding directive unless policy changes were made.

Meanwhile, two Virginia boys who were recorded discussing their discomfort about a transgender classmate using the locker room have faced sexual harassment suspensions and are being held accountable in a federal court.