It’s another day that ends in “y,” which means Virginia’s Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is once again refusing to say whether she believes trans-identifying men should be allowed into girls’ locker rooms.
The latest incident came during a WHSV 3 interview published last week, in which the local network’s host asked Spanberger about comments made by her opponent, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. He specifically probed Spanberger about the Virginia lieutenant governor’s claim that Spanberger is “fine with ‘putting men in girls’ locker rooms.’”
Predictably, Spanberger’s response did not answer the question at hand. Take a listen to her word-salad remarks in the clip below.
“The reality is the federal government has to be clear in what is the real guidance available to our schools as it relates to use of locker rooms,” Spanberger said, as if the Trump administration has not already been explicitly clear on the issue.
The former congresswoman also expressed her belief that it is “incredibly important that many localities be able to make decisions that are best for their communities,” but did not answer the question of whether men should be allowed into girls’ locker rooms.
The interview moment came the same day Spanberger declined to voice support for protecting women’s spaces during her debate against Earle-Sears.
The Democrat candidate repeatedly dodged questions about the issue of trans-identifying men in girls’ locker rooms and sports. This included Spanberger’s refusal to answer a moderator’s question on whether she’d rescind a directive by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin protecting such spaces.
“My answer is that in each local community decisions should be made between parents and educators, and teachers in each community. It shouldn’t be dictated by politicians,” Spanberger said.
Meanwhile, Earle-Sears pledged her support for Youngkin’s order, adding, “We know that girls want to have privacy. It’s really that simple, and my opponent will not answer the question because she voted for men, nude, in girls’ locker rooms, in bathrooms, and in girls’ sports.”
[RELATED: Spanberger Refuses 5 Times To Withdraw Endorsement Of Jay Jones Over Assassination Fantasies]
The moments are a few of the many times in which Spanberger has refused to disavow allowing men into women’s private spaces.
The issue has become prominent in recent weeks as several trans-related locker room incidents have come to light in Northern Virginia schools.
As Catherine Gripp wrote in these pages, in Democrat-run Fairfax County, leading officials recently declined to charge Richard Cox, a Tier III registered sex offender, for allegedly “expos[ing] himself to women and girls in Fairfax County recreation centers’ locker rooms.” Much as she did with her refusal to condemn men in women’s locker rooms, Spanberger did not respond to The Federalist’s prior comment request on the scandal.
There is also a high-profile incident out of Loudoun County’s Stone Bridge High School, where two male students were suspended after they questioned why a trans-identifying female was in the boys’ locker room.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood