Triggered trans state senator Danica Roem storms out of Virginia legislature after Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears calls him 'sir'

Virginia State Senator Danica Roem stormed out of the legislative chamber on Monday after being called "sir" by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who serves as president of the senate. Roem is trans.

The state senate was discussing an upcoming vote on HB 964 when Roem. Earle-Sears was answering a question of Roem's when she said "yes, sir." Roem took offense at being "misgendered" and stormed out of the chamber. Earle-Sears continued doing her job. 

Later, she addressed the body sternly.

"I am not here," she said, "to upset anyone. I am here to do the job that the people of Virginia have called me to do. And that is to treat everyone with respect and dignity. I myself have at times not been afforded that same respect and dignity. But in this body, and as long as I am president of the senate, and by the grace of God, I will be treated with respect and dignity. And I will treat everyone with respect and dignity."

Roem, a white male who identifies as trans, was the first trans state senator elected in Virginia. Roem has been celebrated for identifying as a woman and has been cited for the "first" of being a white man who claims to be a woman who was elected to the state senate. Roem was elected in 2017.

Earle-Sears was elected as lieutenant governor alongside Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2021. Though she is a black woman, her win was criticized as being a victory for white supremacy. This is entirely due to her conservative values. Black journalist Jemele Hill said of Earle-Sears "It's not the messaging, folks. this country simply loves white supremacy."

In response, Earle-Sears slapped back, saying that those who labeled her with the smear of white supremacy were using race "as a tool" to advance their own political agendas. "I'm destroying all narratives about race," Earle-Sears said.

She challenged MSNBC host Joy Reid to have her on her show and slammed "woke" leftists for the crime wave that came after the BLM riots of 2020 led to police defunding across the US.