Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has come under public scrutiny following remarks made during a heated gubernatorial debate Thursday night, Oct. 9, 2025.
At that debate, she repeatedly claimed that opposing same-sex marriage and firing someone for being gay “is not discrimination.”
The exchange, which took place during the first major debate between Earle-Sears and Democratic rival Rep. Abigail Spanberger, quickly went viral after Earle-Sears made the assertions in response to Spanberger’s criticism of her record on LGBTQ+ rights.
‘That’s Not Discrimination’
The controversy erupted midway through the debate when Spanberger called out Earle-Sears’ long history of opposing same-sex marriage, adoption rights for gay couples, and workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“My opponent was asked about her record of discrimination,” Spanberger said. “She has said that gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to marry and that it’s okay for someone to be fired for being gay. That is discrimination.”
Earle-Sears interrupted, twice insisting,, “That’s not discrimination,” according to Them, and ABC 7.
Her remarks prompted immediate backlash online and from civil rights advocates who pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which established that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Firing someone because they’re gay is the textbook definition of discrimination,” one LGBTQ+ rights attorney said in reaction to the debate. “It’s literally settled law.”
A Record of Opposition
Earle-Sears’ comments echo her past positions. In 2024, she signed—though reluctantly—a bipartisan measure preventing marriage certificate denials based on gender, sex, or race, adding a handwritten note declaring herself “morally opposed.”
A resurfaced 2004 survey published by the Virginia Mercury earlier this year showed that Earle-Sears had also pledged to oppose same-sex adoption and LGBTQ+ workplace protections when she first ran for office two decades ago.
After the debate, Earle-Sears’ spokesperson attempted to clarify her comments, telling Virginia journalist Jahd Khalil that “there was obvious crosstalk.” The lieutenant governor, through her campaign, added: “My position is that this is settled law, and I do not intend to take this issue up during my term as Governor.”
Tensions Over Trans Rights
The debate also touched on transgender issues, another flashpoint in Virginia politics. When asked whether trans students pose a “safety threat” to their peers, Earle-Sears claimed that “biological men are larger in strength than women,” later pressing Spanberger about whether she would be comfortable with “a biological boy undressing in her daughter’s locker room.”
Spanberger declined to engage directly, focusing instead on the moderator’s questions. On her campaign website, she affirms her commitment to LGBTQ+ protections but has also called for “local input” on policies concerning trans student athletes, echoing the position of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who supports community-based decision-making on trans inclusion in sports.
Political Strategy and Fallout
Earle-Sears’ remarks fit into a broader campaign strategy that closely mirrors former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Her campaign recently ran a controversial ad titled “Abigail Spanberger Is for They/Them,” which has been widely condemned as transphobic. CNN reported that her campaign spent roughly $2 million on trans-focused advertising in September alone.
Adding to the tension, Earle-Sears’ running mate, John Reid—who is openly gay—faces his own controversy after a Tumblr account linked to his name was found to have reblogged explicit, white-supremacist content. Reid has denied any connection to the account and has refused calls from Gov. Glenn Youngkin to withdraw from the race.
“Virginia families deserve better than a leader who refuses to protect their rights under the law,” Spanberger said in a statement following the debate. “Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears made it clear last night that she is more interested in dividing people than bringing them together.”
Context and Public Reaction
Legal experts and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups were quick to condemn Earle-Sears’ remarks, calling them “dangerous” and “deeply misleading.”
“The idea that firing someone for being gay is not discrimination is absurd,” said one Virginia-based constitutional scholar. “It undermines decades of civil rights progress and contradicts the very law she swore to uphold.”
Despite the criticism, Earle-Sears’ comments are expected to resonate with a conservative base increasingly focused on social issues.
