Virginia hosts one of two high profile elections this year attracting national attention, alongside the race for governor of New Jersey. Voters in Virginia will decide three powerful statewide leaders – Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. LGBTQ topics and people are once again part of the campaign conversation.
LGBTQ people make up nearly 4% of the population of Virginia, according to the Williams Institute. 26% of LGBTQ Virginians are raising children.
“Every family in Virginia deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with the same dignity and respect by the candidates running and the reporters covering the races,” said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her).
“LGBTQ people are part of families and communities in every corner of the Commonwealth, and the issues that affect our lives are the same ones that affect all families—jobs, healthcare, safety, and opportunity. Voters deserve fair and complete coverage of where candidates stand, and that means campaign reporting must reflect the full reality of Virginia families, including ours.”
“Now more than ever, Virginia needs leaders who will represent the will of the people and defend equality in our state. Our voter guide in partnership with GLAAD makes clear where exactly statewide candidates stand on LGBTQ issues so voters can make informed choices about who will fight for our families and freedoms,” said Narissa Rahaman (she/her), Executive Director of Equality Virginia.
“Virginia voters are paying attention and we will work to keep them informed as they head to cast their ballot during one of the most critical elections for LGBTQ people in Virginia history.”
Early voting begins in Virginia on September 19th and runs through November 2nd. Early voting locations available here.
Research on the candidates’ LGBTQ records includes:
Winsome Earle-Sears (R), Current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2022 – Present) & Republican Candidate for Governor
— Made inaccurate claims about transgender people and their rights in schools at both the Arlington County School Board meeting in August 2025 and the Prince William County School Board meeting in September 2025, after the boards refused to comply with the US Department of Education’s demand that five Northern Virginia school systems end policies supporting and protecting transgender students. Earle-Sears inaccurately claimed: “Here’s the truth, there are two sexes: boys and girls. And for generations, we’ve understood this: that they deserve their own sports teams, their own locker rooms, their own bathrooms. That’s not discrimination, it is common sense…Title IX was written to protect biological girls’ spaces and opportunities on the basis of biological sex, not gender identity.” History, medicine, and science have long recognized gender diversity and the reality that there are more than two sexes, including intersex people, who can have both male and female sex characteristics. Title IX prohibits discrimination in education based on sex, and says nothing about “biological” sex, which is not a term used by the scientific or medical communities.
— Wrote an op-ed in September 2025 claiming: “Virginians are up against officials who seem to care more about indoctrinating our children than protecting them.” Earle-Sears highlighted isolated incidents of crimes in bathrooms and baselessly conflated them with policies protecting transgender people’s access to the restroom. In fact, transgender people are at elevated risk for harassment and violence in these spaces, and harming someone in a public restroom is already illegal. Bathroom bans and sports bans often have no guidance on enforcement, and can result in invasions of privacy for everyone when individual citizens randomly (and often mistakenly) attempt to enforce them.
— Ran a campaign ad in September 2025 vilifying transgender and nonbinary people, stating: “Spanberger is for they/them, not for us.” The ad goes on to disparage Earle-Sears’ opponent’s support for policies that include transgender women and girls in school sports.
— Answered a candidate questionnaire by saying that she would oppose workplace protections for gay people, block same-sex couples from adopting children, and responding that she believes homosexuality is an “immoral lifestyle choice.”
— Gave the 2025 Commencement address at Regent University, a Christian college that describes “homosexual conduct” as “indecent” and “obscene,” and another at Atlantic Shores Christian School, which describes homosexuality and bisexuality as “sinful and prohibited.”
— Criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts which seek to address longstanding and historic discrimination and lack of opportunity based on race, sex, and military veteran status, by claiming that “slaves did not die in the fields so that we could call ourselves victims now” and highlighted Virginia as “the former capital of the Confederacy.”
— Delivered a speech at The Family Foundation of Virginia’s gala in September 2024, in which she called the organization a “voice for the voiceless” and described its policies as “all very necessary.” Two days prior to her speech, The Family Foundation’s legal arm had filed a legal challenge to overturn Virginia’s ban on the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. The Family Foundation has ties to the Focus on the Family, a group described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as part of the “anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscience movement” which has pushed policies banning abortion, repealing no-fault divorce laws, and opposing marriage equality.
— Included a handwritten note on Virginia’s HB 174 in March 2024 which stated that she remained “morally opposed” to the contents of the bill, despite being constitutionally required to sign it in her capacity as Lieutenant Governor. HB 174 prohibits officials from denying marriage licenses based on sex, gender, or race.
— Misgendered Virginia State Sen. Danica Roem, a transgender woman, during a session of the Virginia Senate in February 2024, by deliberately referring to her as “sir.” Sen. Roem is the first out transgender state senator in Virginia.
— Refused to say whether she would support a ban on marriage equality in Virginia if the Supreme Court overturned the Obergefell ruling that legalized it nationwide in 2015. Earle-Sears answered: “I’ve been on the record as saying that, when it comes to civil unions, I’m all for that.”
— Promoted her endorsement by Bishop E. W. Jackson in 2021 during her run for Virginia Lt. Governor. Jackson has frequently spread anti-LGBTQ rhetoric such as calling LGBTQ people “very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally.” Jackson also falsely claimed that homosexuality “poisons culture, destroys families, and destroys societies.”
— Wrote an op-ed in 2004 in the Virginia-based Daily Press stating she supported a constitutional amendment which would “[preserve] the institution of marriage to be between a man and a woman.” She also wrote that “our society has gone immeasurably beyond almost all standards in accommodating the homosexual community [over] the last couple of decades” and that the Black civil rights movement has been “hijacked” by the LGBTQ rights movement.
Abigail Spanberger (D), Former Congresswoman for VA District 7 (2019 – 2025) & Democratic Candidate for Governor
— Campaign website promises protection of every Virginian, including LGBTQ Virginians: “Abigail believes that no Virginian should face discrimination based on the color of their skin, where they are from, how they choose to worship, what disability they have, or whom they love. As a Member of Congress, Abigail voted to pass legislation, which President Biden signed into law, to enshrine into federal statute legal protections for same-sex and interracial couples in Virginia and throughout our country. 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. Abigail supports the General Assembly’s efforts to remove the ban on marriage equality from Virginia’s Constitution and enshrine marriage equality in Virginia.”
— Supporter of marriage equality and supports the removal of a dormant state ban: “All Virginians deserve the freedom to marry and for their families to be welcomed in our Commonwealth without the shadow of an outdated and unconstitutional ban on marriage equality lingering in Virginia’s Constitution.”
— Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which codified recognition of marriage equality for same-sex couples and couples of different races. The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden.
— Cosponsored and voted for the Equality Act three times, which aimed to expand civil rights protections for LGBTQ Americans in access to credit, employment, housing, jury service, and public accommodations. The Equality Act was first introduced in 2015, passed the House in 2021, but never made it past the U.S. Senate.
— Joined the House LGBT Equality Caucus in 2023 during the 118th Congress.
— In response to questions about protections in place for LGBTQ students and access to facilities and sports, Spanberger’s campaign released a statement: “Abigail is a mom of three kids in Virginia public schools — the safety of Virginia’s kids is Abigail’s top priority, and she believes that parents have the right to make decisions about what is best for their children.”
— Told The 19th that federal and state level policies targeting transgender youth, including bans on sports participation, throws out a process “driven by parents, teachers and coaches” and enacted by the state’s sporting league. Spanberger criticized members of Congress and Trump for going after “the basic provision of health care that a parent is able to get for their kid.”
— Stated in 2025 that sports participation policies should be set by governing bodies including the Virginia High School League.
— Advocated against VA Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plans to block student access to locker rooms and bathrooms that don’t match their sex assigned at birth, tweeting: “Gov. Youngkin’s mandate targets vulnerable children, and it’s downright shameful to think that an elected leader would punch down at kids to score political points. This mandate rolls back the rights of kids to be themselves in schools.”
— Advocated against Gov. Youngkin’s “tip line” in 2022 for reporting educators who are teaching what he termed “inherently divisive concepts, like Critical Race Theory and its progeny.” Spanberger stated: “During this time of recovery [post-COVID], there’s this governor who said he prioritized public education, but what did he actually do? You want to prioritize public education, but you’re going to vilify teachers?”
— Promised to prioritize state and local control of the Virginia National Guard rather than being dictated to by Washington: “When local and state law enforcement say they don’t need additional resources, it calls into question the state’s autonomy,” Spanberger told Fox5 DC. “It should not be the case that the president is dictating or mandating deployments.”
— Supports access to reproductive health care, posting: “Reproductive healthcare decisions should be kept between a woman and her doctor — and as Virginia’s next Governor, I’ll make sure it stays that way.”
— Endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign’s PAC for Virginia Governor in April 2025, stating: “Spanberger’s pro-equality leadership is more important than ever as states across the country, including Virginia, face increased attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and transgender lives.”
— Endorsed by the LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia for Virginia Governor in April 2025, stating: “Abigail Spanberger has been a fierce advocate for equality, fairness, and the rights of all Virginians, including and especially LGBTQIA+ individuals.”
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi and radio host John Reid are the major party candidates for Lt. Governor of Virginia. The Lt. Governor is part of the executive branch of government and serves as president of the state Senate, casting tie-breaking votes in the General Assembly and prioritizing legislation.
Ghazala Hashmi, Virginia State Senator (2023 – Present) & Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor
— Stated she is “fully committed” to protecting the rights of LGBTQ people in the workplace. Hashmi stated: “Our constitution is clear. Our responsibilities are clear. Human rights and fundamental rights of protections are for all Americans and that’s what we as elected officials have a responsibility to uphold, to make sure that we are protecting the rights of every individual and that discrimination is not in place.”
— Scored a 100% on Equality Virginia’s 2020 Legislative Scorecard. This included votes in support of bills ranging from bans on so-called “conversion therapy,” to enacting safeguards for transgender students in schools, to enshrining local nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, to adding options for nonbinary gender markers on Virginia driver’s licenses, and passing the Virginia Values Act, which prohibits anti-LGBTQ discrimination in housing, employment, credit, and public accommodations.
— Advocated for the rights of LGBTQ students during her stint as chair of the Senate Public Education Subcommittee during Virginia’s 2022 General Assembly session. Hashmi’s subcommittee recommended against passing SB20, SB766, and SB570, stating: “These bills targeted LGBTQ students and students of color. They discriminate against transgender students in particular and put wasteful, wholly unnecessary barriers around what can be taught in Virginia’s schools with the intent of whitewashing American history. Education is meant to develop students’ abilities to think critically and to be challenged by ideas and experiences.” Hashmi’s statement also criticized her colleagues for “intentionally targeting LGBTQ students” and for “fear-mongering around critical educational curricula that broadens our students’ understanding of the complexities of the world in which they live.”
— Campaign website states: “All Virginians deserve opportunity, fair treatment, equal rights, and justice. Unfortunately, too many of our communities are under attack as they face LGBTQIA bigotry…We have a fundamental responsibility to fight hatred wherever we see it and to ensure that this country’s ideals of justice, equality, and fairness are a reality for all.”
— When asked to respond to her opponent John Reid’s derogatory comments on whether transgender women should be allowed to access women’s spaces in Virginia’s schools, Hashmi emphasized that such questions should be answered “at a local level.” Hashmi responded: “I know our local school boards have enunciated their policies on a variety of issues, including our transgender children and the issue of children in sports, that authority rests in the hands of the Virginia High School League.”
John Reid, Former WRVA Radio Host & Republican Nominee for Lt. Governor
— Pledged that if efforts to enshrine reproductive rights, voting rights and same-sex marriage rights into Virginia’s constitution met a tie in the Senate chamber, he would break it by voting them all down. “It doesn’t provide protection for people who sincerely don’t agree with gay marriage,” he said of a proposed amendment to protect same-sex marriage. “I mean, you know, I’m running to be the lieutenant governor, not to be somebody’s pastor, but I’ve got to protect everybody’s rights.”
— Campaign website denies the existence of transgender people and pushes anti-trans tropes. The website states: ”We must be blatant in saying that it is factually impossible for biological men or women to personally decide to change their gender…John is uniquely positioned to take the fight to the radical progressives head-on as he continues his fight against boys in girls sports and the extreme trans-agenda being forced upon our children.” History, medicine, and science have long recognized gender diversity as well as more than two sexes, including intersex people, who can have both male and female sex characteristics.
— When asked in an interview by the Washington Blade why his campaign website shows support for the gay community but not the transgender community, Reid replied: “Yeah, I hate this. But I do think that our current focus on trans issues is where the gay rights movement has jumped the shark…I think we have stumbled into a very unfortunate and dangerous territory where we’re almost taunting the average person with an insistence that they accept drag queen story hour and the provocative books and provocative media that the average person would say, ‘You told us you were normal’ and now you are peddling an agenda which we don’t agree with and you’re being really aggressive about it.”
— Appeared with Earle-Sears to oppose protections for LGBTQ students at a school board hearing in Fairfax County, stating: “You are not bigots for trying to protect the rights of your daughters. This is abusive… and this should not be happening in the schools.”
In the race for Attorney General, former State Delegate Jay Jones and current Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares are the major party candidates. The Attorney General of Virginia is responsible for enforcing state and federal laws.
Jay Jones, Former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2018 – 2022) & Democratic Nominee for Virginia Attorney General
— When asked by the Virginia Mercury about the Youngkin administration’s anti-trans policies, Jones stated: “I believe these are decisions that should be decided locally, and that neither politicians in Richmond nor Washington should be telling local communities and parents what to do.”
— Co-sponsored bills prohibiting the denial or limitation of coverage based on gender identity, prohibition of LGBTQ+ discrimination, and an amendment to existing non-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity, according to Equality Virginia’s Legislative Scorecard. Jones also supported bills repealing the “gay panic” murder defense, repealing Virginia’s statutory same-sex marriage ban, authorizing replacement birth certificates for transgender people, requiring certain transgender-inclusive student policies in schools, and banning the practice of so-called “conversion therapy” on minors.
— Campaign website states: “I’ll make protecting civil rights a true priority for the Attorney General’s Office. I’ll create a Civil Rights Division within the office that will no longer be an afterthought, and is empowered to take aggressive action on behalf of Virginians’ basic rights. This unit will ensure that no Virginian is discriminated against, and that no entity — including the federal government — is able to take away their constitutional rights and liberties.”
— Shared a post on X celebrating his attendance at Equality Prince William Pride, with the caption: “Equal protection under the law doesn’t change because of who you love.”
Jason Miyares, Former Attorney General of Virginia (2022 – Present) and Republican Nominee for Virginia Attorney General
— Agreed to a consent decree in July 2025, as part of a lawsuit seeking to prevent Virginia from enforcing part of its 2020 ban on the discredited and dangerous practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” The agreement allows licensed counselors to perform “talk therapy” related to sexual orientation or gender identity, even with minors. Conversion therapy entails attempts to change or influence a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The American Psychological Association has denounced conversion therapy, stating that it is not an accepted form of therapy based on medical or scientific evidence, as has the American Medical Association.
— Joined a multi-state effort in 2024 to stop the expansion of protections under Title IX from going into effect, which would have allowed for trans-inclusive educational programs, school facilities, and sports teams. Miyares called the changes a “dangerous overhaul” of Title IX, and said the new rules would negatively impact students, families and schools in the commonwealth. Title IX, which has undergone several transformations based on the political party in office, was created to address women’s rights and prohibits any federally funded school or education program from discriminating against any student based on sex since it was established in 1972.
— Scored 12% on Equality Virginia’s 2020 Legislative Scorecard. Miyares abstained from voting on a bill to ban so-called conversion therapy, and voted against safeguards for transgender students in schools, local nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people, nonbinary gender markers on Virginia driver’s licenses, and the Virginia Values Act, enacted in 2020, which prohibits anti-LGBTQ discrimination in housing, employment, credit, and public accommodations.
— Sent a letter to Costco urging them to end their DEI practices. In the letter, signed by Miyares and 18 other attorneys general, they urge Costco to “end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Although Costco’s motto is ‘do the right thing,’ it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing—clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal.” The letter cites the opinion in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard: “Distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry are by their very nature odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality.” In January 2025, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly voted to reject a reevaluation of Costco’s support of DEI.
— Sent a memo in January 2025 to VCU and UVA Health to immediately stop giving puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries to patients younger than 19. Miyares linked to Trump’s executive order and called the letter “legal advice to enable the Commonwealth—including its agencies— to protect itself from significant legal risk and substantial financial exposure.” Trump’s order says any hospital or institution that doesn’t fall in line would be at risk of losing all medical and research-related federal grants. The order doesn’t actually direct hospitals to take any direct action. Health care for transgender people and youth is supported by every major medical organization including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association as lifesaving medical care. Medication to pause puberty is temporary and reversible and prescribed for trans as well as cisgender (non-transgender) youth who experience early-onset puberty. Fewer than 0.1% of adolescents received gender-affirming medication between 2018 and 2022, per a study led by Harvard University researchers and published in January.
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About Equality Virginia
Equality Virginia is a 501(c)(3) organization that advocates and organizes across Virginia to build a future where all LGBTQ+ people thrive. For more information, please visit www.equalityvirginia.org or follow @equalityva on social media.
