Spanberger Dodges Again as Youngkin, Earle-Sears Move to Protect Women's Sports and Spaces

Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial hopeful and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger has had ample opportunity to denounce her record of transgender extremism and stand with vulnerable women and girls, yet still she refuses to do so. 

On Oct. 2, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive directive instructing the Virginia Board of Health to adopt regulations blocking biological males from participating in female-only sports programs and using female-designated spaces "where females are likely to be in a state of undress."

Spanberger's electoral opponent, Republican Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, was quick to express her support for the move via social media.

"Our administration is committed to ensuring both the safety of women and girls in public facilities and locker rooms, and fairness in athletic competition," Earle-Sears wrote, sharing the governor's announcement.

Spanberger, meanwhile, focused on attacking President Donald Trump over a government shutdown of her own party's making.

"Virginians are already facing rising costs, and now — due to Trump’s government shutdown — 300,000+ Virginians may lose their paychecks," she wrote on X.

Her post failed to mention that it was Democrats who voted to shut down the federal government.

Restoration News contacted Spanberger's campaign for comment on Youngkin's directive but received no reply.

Sadly, the Democrat's failure to respond is not new but a continuation of her apparent strategy to dodge and deflect any questions on a topic that has become a major problem in her state.

(READ MORE: VIRGINIA: Abigail Spanberger Wants Trans Boys to ‘Be Themselves’ in Girls’ Locker Rooms)

Safety Last

As the governor noted in his directive, a recent U.S. Department of Education investigation found five Virginia school divisions (Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County Public Schools) had violated Title IX's sex-based discrimination protections by allowing male students access to female sports programs, restrooms, and locker rooms.

For instance, earlier this month, a federal judge intervened to halt Loudoun County's unjust suspension of two male Stone Bridge High School students who expressed discomfort over finding a female student in the boys' locker room. Although the female student violated school policy by recording her peers in the locker room, the county investigated and suspended the boys.

In her order, District Judge Leonie Brinkema noted that she found the allegations in the boys' complaint "troubling," including the fact that the county had dismissed its accusations against a third boy, who is a Muslim, but not the two Christian students.

(RELATED: Virginia High School Students Push Back on Trans Student’s "Sexual Harassment" Claims)

Loudoun County and Stone Bridge also garnered national attention in 2021, when a student was raped in the girls' bathroom by Hunter Heckel, a trans-identifying boy in a skirt . Rather than take appropriate action to prevent future assaults, the Loudoun County School Board went on to approve a policy allowing students suffering from gender dysphoria to use the restroom of their choice. Heckel transferred to another Loudoun school where he raped a second victim.

Meanwhile, in Arlington County, registered male sex offender Richard Cox—who now claims to be a woman—stands accused of exposing himself and masturbating in front of women and girls in girls' locker rooms at multiple schools. Cox is alleged to have done the same at various Fairfax County recreation centers last year, yet police there chose not to charge him.

Reminder: Richard Cox, whose rap sheet includes masterb♤ting in front of children, was permitted into the Girls locker room at 2 VA schools where he exposed himself to little girls — all thanks to the trans-affirming policies endorsed by Abigail Spanberger. pic.twitter.com/wHyPppYwyO

— EllyKayUSA (@EllyKayUSA) August 27, 2025

Spanberger Salad

Spanberger, far from speaking out against such insanity, has repeatedly served up word salads when asked if men belong in women's sports and bathrooms.

"The argument is, there needs to be much clearer guidance of what is an executive order's binding assessment of Title IX versus what has been a decision of the court," Spanberger perplexingly told reporter Nick Minock on Sept. 19.

"But do you personally support these policies?" Minock pressed further.

Spanberger's response to that question was to simply stand there and grin in awkward silence. When Minock tried asking again, she ignored him and walked away.

🚨WATCH: Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger REFUSED to answer my question on does she support biological males using female locker rooms and bathrooms and competing in women’s sports. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ie9M71YjOw

— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) September 19, 2025

Days later, the candidate was asked the same question by another reporter. Again, her answer was longwinded and evasive.

"So in Virginia, until very recently, we have had a process in place where on an individual, one-by-one basis, schools, principals, parents, coaches were making decisions based on fairness, competitiveness and safety, where a child might be able or might not be able to play in a particular sport. … And I think that that was a system that was working," Spanberger said before pivoting to the economy.

When asked if she would support legislation that would allow men in women's sports and bathrooms, she said she would support a bill "that would put clear provisions in place that provide a lot of local ability for input, based on the age of children, based on the type of sport, based on competitiveness."

The reality, however, is that taking a case-by-case approach to children's safety is not only absurd but dangerous and likely to produce the same kinds of crimes witnessed in Loudoun, Arlington, Fairfax, and other like-minded counties.

🚨 WATCH: Virginia moms are blasting Abigail Spanberger’s sick and extreme gender politics that put our kids in danger. pic.twitter.com/nzZbTyA3GA

— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 2, 2025

In a powerful new ad released by Earle-Sears' campaign, a Virginia mother blasts Spanberger for her legislative record on the issue.

"Abigail Spanberger has zero excuse. My son shared urinals with a girl who claims she's a boy. My daughter competed against men in track. And the transgender predator who exposed himself in school showers? Sick," the mother of three says in the ad.

Noting that Spanberger co-sponsored congressional legislation that would have forced schools to allow boys in girls' intimate spaces, the woman adds: "That's not just disgusting, it's disqualifying."

(READ MORE: Dear Virginia Women: Run, Don't Walk, Away From Abigail Spanberger)