Virginia’s anti-LGBT Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears is seeking governor

Virginia Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, ret republican Candidate for governor in 2025 has positioned herself as an advocate of far-right social policies that align with an extremist agenda LGBTQ+ Protections, reproductive rights and divorce laws, say LGBTQ+ advocates. As she seeks to secure the commonwealth’s premiership to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, activists warn she would make the increasingly progressive state backward.

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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 promised to “Shoulder to “stand at the side” and “shoulder” his efforts. The Family Foundation released a video her remarks on November 13th The lawyer has confirmed.

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

The Family Foundation, a religious nonprofit organization with close ties to the Christian The fundamentalist group Focus on the Family has pushed policies that include banning abortions, repealing no-fault divorce laws and opting out Marriage equality. The group has also fought to remove protections for LGBTQ+ people, including filing a petition legal challenge in 2024 to repeal 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 “extremely necessary.” “You are not alone in this fight. I’m here with you. I stand shoulder to shoulder,” she explained.

The lieutenant governor’s stance was strongly condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates. James Millner, a Richmond-based activist, recounted The lawyer: “If elected, Winsome Earle-Sears would be the most anti-LGBTQ and anti-reproductive freedom governor to ever lead Virginia.” She opposes same-sex marriage, mistreated a transgender lawmaker in the Virginia Senate, and appeared in a campaign ad featuring a pastor who called homosexuality, abortion and (transgender identities) “the work of the devil.”

The lieutenant governor’s ties to the Family Foundation are consistent with her political past. In 2003, as a member of the Virginia House of Representatives, Earle-Sears voted to create “covenant marriages,” which would have made it more difficult for couples, particularly those with children, to obtain a no-fault divorce. The Virginian Pilot reported At that time, the bill that provided for consultation and waiting periods ultimately failed in the state Senate.

Earle-Sears’ endorsement of the Family Foundation’s agenda also reflects the group’s extremist stance on reproductive rights. The organization celebrated fall Roe v. Wade and has advocated for fetal personhood laws, a legal theory that threatens access to in vitro fertilization. In October, the Family Foundation published a blog Posts They call IVF “child trafficking” and accuse parents who use fertility treatments of being “selfish.” Similar personhood arguments were made by the Alabama Supreme Court earlier this year, resulting in a halt to 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 said wrote in one Daily press opined that “society has far exceeded all standards in accommodating the homosexual community” and called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage nationwide. The Family Foundation has long led a fight against marriage equality, which the group has done labeled “radical and unbiblical.” In February, Earle-Sears abused Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem, a transgender lawmaker, during a Senate session, calling her “sir” before later apologizing. The hill reported.

“She has gone on record saying that society has gone too far in ‘favoring the homosexual community’ and suggesting that the black civil rights movement has been hijacked by LGBTQ advocates,” Millner added.

Earle-Sears’ hardline positions are in stark contrast to those of Democratically Candidate and U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, who has distinguished herself as an advocate for equality and reproductive freedom. In conversation with The lawyer At Equality Virginia’s Commonwealth Dinner in October, Spanberger emphasized her commitment to restoring protections for LGBTQ+ youth and families in Virginia that were rolled back under Republican leadership.

“One of my top priorities is to get us back to a place where we respect children, educators and families,” Spanberger said The lawyer. She criticized Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2023 model policy Trainingthat restrict Transgender Student rights as harmful and divisive. “Families need to know that they have someone who respects their child, sees the beauty in their child and is committed to helping their child thrive,” she said.

Spanberger’s track record reflects her consistent support of LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive health care. In Congress, she voted for the Equality Act and marriage equality legislation, underscoring her belief that “every child has a sense of belonging.” “We need to show 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. “If given the chance as governor, Sears would put these freedoms beyond question, destroying Virginia’s reputation as a welcoming, inclusive commonwealth.”

Earle-Sears representatives did not respond The lawyer Please comment.

Watch Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears’ speech at the Family Foundation’s September Gala below.

– YouTubewww.youtube.com