A heated exchange unfolded in the Virginia State Senate on Monday, as Senator Danica Roem, a transgender woman, exited the chamber after being addressed as "sir" by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, the presiding officer of the senate.
The incident occurred during a discussion on HB 964, a forthcoming vote.
Earle-Sears, in response to a query from Roem, inadvertently referred to her as "yes, sir." Roem, who identifies as a woman, took umbrage at what she perceived as misgendering and promptly left the chamber. Unfazed, Earle-Sears continued with her duties.
Addressing the senate later, Earle-Sears expressed her commitment to treating everyone with respect and dignity. "I am not here to upset anyone," she declared, "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, who was elected in 2017, holds the distinction of being the first transgender state senator in Virginia. Despite being a white male who identifies as a woman, her election has been hailed as a milestone.
Earle-Sears, on the other hand, was elected as lieutenant governor in 2021 alongside Governor Glenn Youngkin. Despite being a black woman, her victory was controversially labeled as a triumph for white supremacy, primarily due to her conservative values. Journalist Jemele Hill remarked, "It's not the messaging, folks. This country simply loves white supremacy."
Earle-Sears retorted to these accusations, asserting that those branding her a white supremacist were exploiting race to further their political objectives. "I'm destroying all narratives about race," she stated. She also invited MSNBC host Joy Reid to host her on her show and criticized "woke" leftists for the crime wave that followed the 2020 BLM protests, which led to police defunding across the US.
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