Virginia’s top Republicans joined Wednesday to
call on the General Assembly to keep transgender women – who they instead called “biological males” – out of women’s sports. It was a theme President-elect Donald Trump hit hard during last year’s campaign, including at a rally in Salem where he hailed the
Roanoke College woman swimmers who in 2023 opposed a transgender woman joining their team. Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks as Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, left, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former University of Kentucky swimmer and current political activist Riley Gaines look on Wednesday at an event in the lobby of the Barbara Johns Building. The question of transgender women in sports sparked some sharp partisan attacks when Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares spoke at rally Wednesday in support of a ban, at an event in the lobby of the Barbara Johns Building, which houses the attorney general’s office.
People are also reading…
They called for passage of legislation sponsored by Del. Delores Oates, R-Warren, and
state Sen. Tammy Mulchi , R-Mecklenburg, that would bar students whose biological sex is male from participating in high school or college teams and sports expressly designated for females. The bills require that the biological sex of any student seeking to participate on such an expressly designated team be affirmed by a signed physician’s statement. Mulchi said she hopes for bipartisan support for the measure. “When my daughter was in high school, she had to compete on a co-ed soccer team,” Mulchi said. “She was a very good soccer player … she was being considered for scholarships for college for her soccer ability, and she was tackled in a game I believe, was her junior year, by a male athlete that was much larger and stronger than her, and she tore her ACL,” a reference to a knee ligament. Her daughter never played soccer again. Miyares said: “We know that there is a party that claims (to be) the party of women, however, it is deafening their silence for the women that are desperate to have a voice.” He added: “Well, we have heard your voice.” “Biological males who have undergone puberty have a clear physical advantage over females,” he said. “They jump higher, they run faster, they hit harder. These are not opinions. These are undeniable facts. Males who have undergone puberty have an undeniable athletic advantage. They jump 25% higher than females and throw about 25% further. Males run approximately 11% faster and accelerate 20% faster. They punch 30 to 162% harder. They are approximately 30% stronger than females of equivalent stature and mass,” Miyares said. Youngkin said the issue matters, because Title IX protections for women’s sports are under threat. “I just want to be clear; this issue is about protecting women and girls’ rights. This issue is about fairness, and this issue is about safety,” Youngkin said. “What message are we sending to women and girls around this nation when we say: ‘You work as hard as you possibly can, you give everything you’ve got, you take advantage of those God-given natural abilities. And yet we are going to deprive you of what you have earned.’ My friends, that is just wrong.”
Roem responds
Sen. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, the first openly transgender person to serve in the General Assembly, criticized the legislation. “All of the anti-trans bills are going to be defeated, just like the House patron of the 2023 bill, HB 1387, was defeated at the ballot box that November when the Republicans lost their House of Delegates majority and lost my race after going all-in on fear and loathing of their trans constituents,” Roem said in a statement. (The sponsor of that 2023 bill, Del. Karen Greenhalgh, R-Virginia Beach, lost her seat to Democrat Michael Feggans. Roem beat Republican Bill Woolf in her Senate race.) “The Governor should be focused on reducing traffic fatalities after the fourth consecutive year of 900+ roadway deaths in Virginia — which didn’t even get a mention during his State of the Commonwealth Address — instead of singling out and stigmatizing the very people he’s elected to serve,” Roem said. Current Virginia High School League policy allows student-athletes to compete on teams that match their gender identity if the VHSL approves an appeal. The VHSL hears appeals for students that want to play on a gender-specific sports team that is different from the gender identity listed on the student’s original birth certificate. From 2020-24, the VHSL heard 30 appeals, granting 27 and denying three. “Aren’t the VHSL rules working essentially without controversy?” asked Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, a 20-year legislative veteran who was the second openly gay member of the General Assembly after Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria. Narissa S. Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, said in a statement: “Instead of focusing on the real, pressing issues facing Virginians like cost of living and funding our schools, Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares are prioritizing legislation that has failed in the General Assembly four consecutive sessions. What a waste of time & resources — a ‘solution’ in search of a problem.”
Riley Gaines: ‘I will never forget how I was treated’
Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-America swimmer at the University of Kentucky, told the crowd of several hundred activists, legislators and officials that is unfair and dangerous to allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports, and exposes them in locker rooms to individuals who still have male private parts. “I will never forget how I was treated by the Democrats in the state of Virginia, how they told me it didn’t really matter,” she said, referring to her testimony last year in favor of failed bill to ban transgender women from women’s sports. “They allowed this to happen. Understand what happened to those girls at Roanoke College? ... It’s because of the lack of leadership from the Democrats here in the state of Virginia,” she said.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears greet the Liberty University women’s swim team during an event about trans athletes in women’s sports on Wednesday. While she did not detail what happened, Miyares said students objecting to transgender women in women’s sports have faced harassment and ostracism. The Roanoke team completed a full schedule in 2023. Several members of the Roanoke College team appeared with Trump during his Nov. 2 rally in Salem. “The brave members of the swim team stood up to the transgender fanatics,” Trump said at the time. Earle-Sears said transgender women competing in women’s sports have an unfair advantage. “I want you to picture this with me, that you are the runner, and you are at the starting line. You’re at the blocks, and you look down the blocks and you see four biological males …” Earle-Sears said. “I’m looking at them and I’m thinking, excuse me, ain’t no way. There is no way I can win. Because you see, these are the biological males who previously ran in the men’s division, and they were possibly number three, four or five. But when they come to the women’s division, they are number one, two, three. “How, my friends, could that be equality? The equality I hear the other side always, always espouses,” Earle-Sears said.
U.S. House votes on action
The battle over transgender women in sports erupted in Congress earlier this week. “All students should have access to the benefits of extracurriculars,” said ACLU-VA Senior Transgender Rights Attorney Wyatt Rolla. “Banning transgender athletes from sports teams doesn’t protect girls in sports – just the opposite. Policing students’ bodies would open all young people to potential harm and discrimination,” Rolla added. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-206 on Tuesday to pass legislation that would restrict participation in youth sports, based on birth gender. All Republicans voted for it, along with two Democrats from Texas. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, accused Republicans of “culture war attacks on the transgender community under the guise of protecting women and girls in sports” and said it proposes intrusive questioning of young girls, including physical inspection of their bodies. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-7th, whose daughter attends middle school in Prince William County, said competitive sports for women and girls should be protected, but added, “However, you can’t protect women’s sports by defunding them, which is what this bill does.” Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-2nd, the mother of two daughters, called the legislation a win for women.
Photos: State of the Commonwealth 2025
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Speaker of the House Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, speak as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin applauds Gov. Glenn Youngkin as he arrives before the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin leaves after giving the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin arrives before giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin is applauded as she arrives before Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin arrives before giving the State of the Commonwealth address in the House chamber on Monday. Pages look on as Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Members of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s cabinet arrive before the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the media after giving the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, speaks to members of the media after the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Del. Luke Torian, D-Prince William, applauds as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears applauds as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin shakes hands with Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, before giving the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, listens as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, listens as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, rubs his eyes as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears; House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth; and Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, applaud as Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the State of the Commonwealth address on Monday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to members of the press after giving the State of the Commonwealth address, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Tracking the news
What's new? Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares are backing legislation to bar transgender women from women's sports.
The background : Democrats who control the General Assembly have previously defeated such measures.
What's next? The Virginia High School League says that unless the law changes, it will maintain its current policy. From 2020-24, the VHSL heard 30 appeals from students who want to play on a gender-specific sports team that is different from the gender identity listed on the student's original birth certificate. The VHSL granted 27 of the appeals and denied three.
More coverage
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
