WILLIAMSBURG — Transgender athletes were the focus of a campaign stop in Williamsburg Friday morning by Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is vying to be Virginia’s next governor.

Earle-Sears was joined by Del. Chad Green, R-Seaford, along with a group of families whom Green said were affected by a 2023 decision by a summer swim league to allow young transgender athletes to compete as the gender they identify with rather than their sex assigned at birth.

The Virginia Peninsula Swim Union is a league of more than 1,000 swimmers from 18 neighborhood swim teams in Williamsburg, James City County, York County and Newport News.

Green, who represents House District 69 and is running for reelection against Democrat Mark Downey and independent Valerie Beverley, said barring biological males from competing against females was among his top priorities, and a matter that hits close to home.

“I’m here today as the father of a young daughter, a parent and a delegate,” he said from the parking lot of Second Street bistro.

Green said seeing males playing in female sports and using women’s locker rooms is wrong. He said that Downey, who served in a leadership position for the swim league’s board of directors, shared some of the blame for voting to allow males to compete against females. Downey, Green said, has let down young athletes he is supposed to support and protect.

The rule change allowing transgender athletes to compete, Green said, caused a community uproar and negatively affected the families whose children participate in this league.

Earle-Sears echoed Green’s contention that males competing in female sports was unjustified. “This is a very important issue,” she said. “This is real common sense. Men do not belong in locker rooms with girls.”

Earle-Sears said that Downey was in lockstep with her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, in their support of transgender athletes.

“All the Democrats want biological men in girls’ sports,” Earle-Sears said.

Downey’s campaign declined to comment.

Also present at the campaign stop was state Sen. J.D. “Danny” Diggs, R-York, although he did not make public statements. Diggs said he would support regulations that would bar transgender athletes from competing against those who do not share the same sex assigned at birth. Diggs indicated that he was prepared to support legislation such as Senate Bill 749, which died in committee in the 2025 General Assembly regular session, and which would have banned biological males from competing in sports designated for females only.

In addition to sharing her concerns about transgender athletes, Earle-Sears said that she continues to campaign on issues that are important to voters, among them lowering taxes, supporting law enforcement and controlling illegal immigration.

“People don’t want a sanctuary state or city,” Earle-Sears said.

Green indicated that transgender athletes were also an issue that lawmakers are hearing about from voters, and that he would be working to find solutions.

If he’s reelected, Green said he will be a point person within the General Assembly to initiate bipartisan conversations and put forward legislation to protect women’s sports.

“I will protect your daughters,” he said.

Ben Swenson, ben.swenson05@gmail.com

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/17/earle-sears-williamsburg-trans-athletes/