Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, has criticized Rep. Abigail Spanberger for her support of legislation that he claims allows men in women’s private spaces. He also accused her of remaining silent in 2021 after a Loudoun County bathroom policy allegedly led to the sexual assaults of two girls.
“Abigail Spanberger’s voting record speaks for itself—she has not only voted for legislation that would allow men into women’s private spaces, but she’s also co-sponsored the legislation that would codify this so-called “right” into civil rights law,” said Schilling. “Abigail Spanberger was silent in 2021 when her preferred bathroom policy was implemented in Loudoun County and led to the sexual assault of not one, but two different young girls. Abigail Spanberger will not protect our daughters.”
According to ABC7News, Virginia’s gubernatorial race is highlighting significant differences on transgender policies between Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. Earle-Sears, who secured the GOP nomination, said she would advocate for ending school district rules that allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex. If elected, she promised to sign legislation mandating single-sex private spaces and banning biological males from participating in girls’ sports, describing such measures as “common sense” and necessary for protecting student safety and fairness.
7News sought clarification from Spanberger regarding her stance on transgender bathroom access and biological males in girls’ sports. Her campaign declined to answer directly but issued a statement emphasizing her commitment to student safety and parental decision-making. Spanberger opposed Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 policy restricting bathroom access by biological sex, calling it “shameful.” In 2023, she voted in favor of allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports.
AP News reported that in October 2023, a Virginia teenager and her parents filed a $30 million civil rights lawsuit against Loudoun County Public Schools. They alleged that the district failed to promptly initiate a Title IX investigation and attempted to cover up the May 28, 2021 sexual assault in a girls’ bathroom at Stone Bridge High School—an incident followed by a second assault at Broad Run High School. The alleged offender identified as gender fluid. The plaintiffs claim that school officials denied any assault had occurred while delaying critical protocols and support for the victim.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll conducted in January 2025 asked Americans whether “transgender female athletes — meaning athletes who were male at birth but who currently identify as female — should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.” According to the poll results, 79% of respondents said they should not be allowed, including 67% of Democrats and 94% of Republicans.
