Virginia’s anti-LGBT Lt. Earle-Sears is running for governor

Virginia Lt. Govt. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republicans candidate for governor in 2025, has positioned himself as a champion of far-right social policies, in line with an extremist agenda aimed at LGBTQ+ protection, reproductive rights and divorce laws, LGBTQ+ say advocates. As she seeks to secure the Commonwealth’s chief executive to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, activists warn she would take the increasingly progressive state backwards.

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In a speech at The Family Foundation of Virginia’s Faith Unwavering gala on Sept. 28, Earle-Sears, the first black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, praised the group’s decades-long advocacy for socially conservative policies and vowed to stand ” shoulder to shoulder” with its efforts, the Family Foundation published a video of her remarks on 13 November, The lawyer have confirmed.

Related: Virginia lieutenant governor offers awkward ‘apology’ after misgendering trans lawmaker Danica Roem

The Family Foundation, a religious nonprofit organization with deep ties to Christian The fundamentalist group Focus on the Family has advanced policies that include banning abortion, repealing no-fault divorce laws, and opposing equality in marriage. The group has also fought to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people, including filing a legal challenge in 2024 to overturn Virginia’s ban on anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy — a widely discredited and harmful practice. In her speech, Earle-Sears called the organization “a voice for the voiceless” and described its policies as “all very necessary.” “You are not alone in this fight. I am here with you. I stand shoulder to shoulder,” she declared.

The lieutenant governor’s viewpoint has drawn sharp condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocates. James Millner, a Richmond-based activist, said The lawyer: “Winsome Earle-Sears, if elected, would be the most anti-LGBTQ and anti-reproductive freedom governor to ever lead Virginia. She opposes same-sex marriage, misgendered a transgender lawmaker on the floor of the Virginia Senate, and appeared in a campaign ad featuring a priest who called homosexuality, abortion and (transgender identities) ‘the work of the devil’.”

The lieutenant governor’s ties to the Family Foundation are in line with her political record. In 2003, as a Virginia House delegate, Earle-Sears voted to create “covenant marriages” that would have made it more difficult for couples — especially those with children — to obtain a no-fault divorce. The Virginian pilot reported at the time the bill, which required counseling and waiting periods, ultimately failed in the state Senate.

Earle-Sears’ embrace of The Family Foundation’s agenda also reflects the group’s extremist stance on reproductive rights. The organization celebrated autumn on Roe v. Wade and has advocated for fetal personhood law, a legal theory that threatens access to in vitro fertilization. In October, the Family Foundation published a blog posts refers to IVF as “child trafficking” and accuses parents who use fertility treatments of being “selfish”. Similar personhood arguments were used by the Alabama Supreme Court earlier this year, resulting in a shutdown of IVF services in the state.

Earle-Sears’ stance on LGBTQ+ issues has been consistent throughout her career. In 2004, during her campaign for Congress, she wrote in one Daily press stated that “society has gone immeasurably beyond all standards to accommodate the gay community” and called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage nationwide. The Family Foundation has waged a long-running battle to oppose marriage equality, which the group has the brand “radical and unbiblical.” In February, Earle-Sears misgendered Virginia state senator Danica Roem, a transgender lawmaker, during a Senate session, calling her “sir” before later apologizing, The hill reported.

“She is on record saying that society has gone too far in ‘accommodating the gay community’ and suggested that the black civil rights movement had been hijacked by LGBTQ advocates,” Millner added.

Earle-Sears’ hardline stances stand in stark contrast to them Democratic candidate and US Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who has emerged as a champion of equality and reproductive freedom. speaks to The lawyer at Equality Virginia’s Commonwealth Dinner in October, Spanberger emphasized his commitment to restoring protections for LGBTQ+ youth and families in Virginia that have been rolled back under Republican leadership.

“One of my top priorities is to get us back to a place where we respect children, respect educators and respect families,” Spanberger said The lawyer. She criticized Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2023 model policies in the educationwhich limits transgender student rights, as harmful and divisive. “Family need to know they have someone who respects their child, sees the beauty in their child and works to make sure their child can thrive,” she said.

Spanberger’s record reflects her consistent support for LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive health care. In Congress, she voted for the Gender Equality Act and the Marriage Equality Act, underscoring her belief that “every child deserves to feel like they belong.” “We need to stand up for them at the ballot box, in the classroom and at the state level,” she said The lawyer.

“Virginia currently has the strongest LGBTQ and reproductive protections of any state in the South,” Millner said. “As governor, if given the chance, there is no doubt that Sears would destroy these freedoms and, in doing so, destroy Virginia’s reputation as a welcoming, inclusive Commonwealth.”

Representatives for Earle-Sears did not respond to a request for comment The lawyer’s request for comment.

See Lt. Govt. Winsome Earle-Sears speech at the Family Foundation Gala in September below.

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