Women in Virginia will no longer have protection from biological males in their own sports, locker rooms, or bathrooms after Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ended a rulemaking that would have prohibited biological males from competing in girls’ sports or using female locker rooms and bathrooms
Spanberger did this quietly without issuing a press release, posting on social media or giving any public notice.
Spanberger withdrew the rulemaking on July 30, but Virginians are only learning of it roughly six weeks later. The withdrawal was recorded on a government website that receives little public attention, with no formal announcement from the governor’s office.
A Process Started Under Glenn Youngkin
The rulemaking originated after female athletes petitioned the Virginia Board of Health to act on transgender sports participation. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s board approved the petition and directed the Department of Health to develop formal regulations. Spanberger’s decision Virginia transgender sports rulemaking effectively ends that process entirely.
Student athlete Reka Gyorgy, who filed the original petition last year, said she was disheartened by the governor’s move. “It saddens me to see Spanberger take a position that I feel does not adequately protect female athletes and women’s privacy and safety,” Gyorgy said. “I have been fighting for women’s sports for years. Last year, I filed a petition to protect women’s sports and women-only spaces in Virginia, so this issue is very personal to me.
Gyorgy added, “I personally think it is a shame to see Spanberger use her position and power in a way that, in my view, takes away fairness and privacy from women’s sports and spaces.”
Parents and Lawmakers React to the Quiet Withdrawal
Abbie Platt, a parent of three Loudoun County students who has advocated for sex-separated bathrooms, locker rooms and sports, called the move a betrayal. “It’s disappointing for sure, particularly because she campaigned as a moderate and essentially lied to Virginians about her positions on a lot of things,” Platt said. “There was a process in place that allowed parents to contribute and to give feedback, and she just shut it all down, and it tells you where her priorities are.”
State Sen. Tara Durant said she suspects the governor acted quietly because of where public opinion stands. “The vast majority of people ultimately, they want our girls to be able to have fairness when they compete,” Durant said, noting that polling shows 75 to 80 percent of Americans oppose biological males competing in women’s sports. “This is a matter of safety as well as fairness for them.”
Governor’s Office Has Not Responded
Reporters asked the governor’s office why Spanberger did not announce the withdrawal, why it was handled quietly, and what her reasoning was for ending the rulemaking. As of the time of reporting, the governor had not responded to any of those questions.
With the rulemaking now withdrawn, no state regulation restricting transgender participation in female sports is currently moving forward in Virginia. It remains unclear whether legislators plan to pursue the issue through other channels or whether Spanberger’s office will eventually address the decision publicly.
