They’re not. In fact, plenty of Virginia parents are Democrats who nonetheless cannot ignore the state’s reckless pursuit of inclusivity.
Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger wants to extend grace to parents who are “confused” on the issue of men in women’s sports and bathrooms. In an interview with Katie Couric this week, Spanberger said that most of the debate about whether trans-identifying people should be allowed to use facilities according to their gender identity is the result of ignorance.
“I think the real challenge is, there’s a lot of people who’ve never met a trans person, whether they’re a trans youth or an adult, and so there’s a real effort to engage in some level of fearmongering,” she said. “And, you know, I really do believe that we should as a society, as a whole, you know, demonstrate a fair amount of grace to people who are confused about when we’re talking about bathrooms or when we’re talking about sports participation, like, what are, what are we talking about?”
National Review has reported on how progressive trans policies have affected families throughout Virginia. Parents aren’t “confused” about the trans issue — they’re infuriated that lenient “inclusive” policies allow sexual predators to roam free in their daughters’ locker rooms; school districts to charge with sexual harassment students who don’t want a member of the opposite sex in their private spaces; school districts to force students to share facilities with members of the opposite sex; sports administrations to require that girls put themselves in danger if they want to compete.
Spanberger thinks these parents are “confused.” Read what the parents have to say yourself:
Jen McDougal, a mother whose nine-year-old daughter saw trans-identifying tier-three sex offender Richard Cox’s penis in a women’s locker room in September 2024:
“It’s an abuse of women’s right to feel safe in public space. I understand there are a lot of people who say you can’t take away a person’s right to use a bathroom that they feel is appropriate for them. But this loophole is what created this situation for us. And he was allowed to enter that restroom, that facility, because he identified as transgender.”
A Fairfax County mother whose teenaged daughter was forced — by school administrators — to change for gym class in front of a boy or find somewhere else to change:
“I’m just dumbfounded that this is even a thing, that I’m having to go to this length in order to protect my child. At any point, as a parent, your first responsibility is to protect your child. You send them to school, you think they’re safe at school, and my daughter having to worry about a boy looking at her in the locker room is not safe. It is not okay to teach girls that it’s okay to have a boy in their private areas.”
Seth Wolfe, a Loudoun County dad whose son was suspended from school and charged with sexual harassment because he questioned why there was a girl in his locker room:
“No parent should have to fear their child will be branded a ‘sexual harasser’ simply for standing up for their privacy.”
Lisa Wolfe, the grandmother of Seth’s son:
“What stresses me out the most is that the opportunities that he had are now gone. How is this going to go with jobs, and the future, and who is this going to go on his college applications. You know it’s just not fair.”
Another Loudoun County father, whose son’s female football teammate allegedly walked around the boys locker room in her underwear:
“He [the Loudoun County father’s son] has known this person since he was six or seven and I’ve asked him about this person and he said they are very nice people. He has no grudge about the person, the personality, [and] how they want to live their life. It’s more an invasion of privacy. It’s about being uncomfortable changing in front of the opposite sex, period.”
“You have to be sensitive. It’s a sensitive subject, everybody in this world is created equally and should be treated as such, as a baseline argument we all know that. When it affects children in a negative [way], especially your own children, that’s where the game changes.”
These few stories make clear that this isn’t some fringe issue that culturally insensitive parents are struggling to understand, as Spanberger seems to suggest. Dozens of parents have told us that their daughters are “scared” because boys are free to enter their locker rooms, play on their sports teams, and use their bathrooms. Hundreds of women and young girls are scarred from having seen naked men in female facilities. A five-year-old even walked into her locker room after swim practice and saw a man standing naked in a shower stall with the curtain open, touching himself.
This isn’t a partisan fight — plenty of these Virginia parents are Democrats who agree that the trans issue requires compassion and attention. But they also can’t ignore the reality that Virginia’s reckless pursuit of inclusivity has put their kids at risk.