Today, Equality Virginia PAC, the elections arm of the Commonwealth’s leading advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) equality, released the following statement celebrating the re-election of a pro-equality Senate, giving LGBTQ+ Virginians a strong voice in Richmond and a crucial check on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policies.
Amongst the many victories for pro-equality candidates was the election of Danica Roem in Senate District 30 as the first openly transgender state senator elected in Virginia’s history.
“Across the commonwealth, Virginians came out in droves to vote for pro-equality candidates, preserving a vital pro-equality majority in the Senate, which will continue to be a strong, important check on the anti-LGBTQ+ actions of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, his administration and his allies in the House of Delegates,” said Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia PAC.
“These results show what we already knew: extremist, anti-equality candidates don’t win elections.. But, we still have work to do. Equality Virginia was proud to endorse the pro-equality candidates elected to the General Assembly and we are ready to work with them in this upcoming legislative session once again to secure our progress and protect our lives and livelihoods. On the heels of a session in which lawmakers introduced the most anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the legislature’s history, it’s more important than ever to fill the halls of the General Assembly with champions. Our work continues.”
This session, Equality Virginia tracked over two dozen anti-LGBTQ+ bills that directly targeted LGBTQ+ people, and in particular, transgender Virginians. Of the 12 transgender-related bills that were introduced this year in Virginia, all were defeated by the Virginia Senate.
