Dem nominee for Virginia gov dodges questions on allowing trans-identified boys in girls' locker rooms

Democrat candidate for governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, could not directly answer whether or not she supports allowing males who identify as transgender into locker rooms and bathrooms with girls. The candidate dodged the question. The topic of allowing trans-identified students into locker rooms and bathrooms of the opposite sex has been a flashpoint in many of Virginia's schools.

Spanberger was asked if she supports policies that allow for males who identify as transgender to go into women's locker rooms and bathrooms. She responded, "Well, the circumstances this legal case plays out is really one of, we've had court cases settled or judged here in Virginia, in the 4th District."

"The former Gavin Grimm case related to bathroom usage. And in fact, the argument is, the assessment is, there needs to be much clearer guidance in terms of what is an executive order's binding assessment of Title IX versus what has been a decision of a court."

When reporter Nick Minock pressed further, asking if she personally supported the policies that would allow males in girls' locker rooms, she did not respond, and when Minock followed up, he was told to stop asking the question by her staffers.

When she was asked about what policies she would support, in further reporting from ABC 13, Spanberger only addressed policies surrounding sports but did not talk about her position on allowing for men to go into women's bathrooms.

She emphasized allowing for "local input" as well as "fairness" for the topic of sports but did not address bathrooms.

"I would support a bill that would put clear provisions in place that provide a lot of local ability for input, based on the age of children, based on the type of sport, based on competitiveness. Because certainly I recognize, I absolutely recognize. I’m the mom of three daughters in Virginia public schools, and they participate in all activities across the board. I recognize the concern that families and community members might have about the safety of their own kids, about competitiveness, about fairness. And I think the process that was in place for 10 years was one that was working. It was one that took individual circumstances and individual communities into account, and I think that is the process that Virginia should continue to utilize."

Spanberger is running against GOP candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, who is the current Lt. Governor of Virginia, and has pointed to Spanberger's voting record and has run ads that say, “Spanberger wants boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls. And Spanberger will let children change genders without telling their parents.”