More than a dozen openly LGBTQ candidates are on the ballot in Virginia on Nov. 7.

State Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) is running against Republican Bill Woolf in the newly redistricted Senate District 30 that includes western Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

Roem in 2018 became the first openly transgender person seated in a state legislature in the U.S. after she defeated then-state Del. Bob Marshall, a prominent LGBTQ rights opponent who co-wrote Virginia’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Roem would become Virginia’s first out trans state senator if she defeats Woolf.

Woolf supports a bill that would require school personnel to out trans students to their parents. The Republican Party of Virginia has highlighted this position in ads in support of Woolf.

“Thank you for reminding me why I won three elections in this district in Prince William County, which is the most diverse county in all of Virginia and the 10th most nationally where we welcome everyone because of who they are, not despite it, no matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship, if you do, or who you love because you should be able to thrive here because of who you are, never despite it,” said Roem on Sept. 28 in response to a woman who heckled her during a debate with Woolf that took place at Metz Middle School in Manassas.

Gay state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) is running for re-election in Senate District 39. State Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County), who is also gay, is running for re-election in House District 43.

Former state Del. Joshua Cole, who identifies as bisexual, is running against Republican Lee Peters in House District 65. State Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-Virginia Beach), who came out as bisexual last year at Hampton Roads Pride, will face Republican Mike Karslake and independent Nicholas Olenik.

State Del. Marcia “Cia” Price (D-Newport News), a Black woman who identifies as pansexual, is running for re-election in House District 85. 

Adele McClure, a queer Democrat, is running to represent House District 2 that includes portions of Arlington County. Laura Jane Cohen, a bisexual woman who is a member of the Fairfax County School Board, is a House of Delegates candidate in House District 15.

Rozia Henson, a gay federal contractor who works for the Department of Homeland Security, is running in House District 19. Zach Coltrain, a gay Gen Zer, is running against state Del. Barry Knight (R-Virginia Beach) in House District 98. 

LPAC has endorsed Jade Harris, a Rockbridge County Democrat who is running to represent Senate District 3. Harris’ website notes trans rights are part of their platform.

“Protecting trans rights, repealing right to work, strengthening unions and supporting our farmers are just a few of my legislative priorities,” reads the website. “I am dedicated to addressing the revitalization of our state’s infrastructure, fostering a favorable environment for job creation, and supporting our public education system.”

Republicans currently control the House by a 51-46 margin, while Democrats have a 21-19 majority in the state Senate.

Senate Democrats have successfully blocked anti-LGBTQ bills that Republicans have introduced since Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin took office in January 2022. 

The Virginia Department of Education in July released new guidelines for trans and nonbinary students that activists and their supporters have sharply criticized. They fear that Republicans will curtail LGBTQ rights in the state if they regain control of both houses of the General Assembly on Nov. 7.

“Time and time again, anti-equality lawmakers and the Youngkin administration have made it clear that they will continue to disrespect and disregard the lives and lived experience of LGBTQ+ people within Virginia,” said Equality Virginia PAC Executive Director Narissa Rahaman in August when her organization and the Human Rights Campaign endorsed Roem, Ebbin and other “pro-equality champions.”

“We must elect pro-equality champions who will secure and strengthen our freedoms,” added Rahaman. “We have that chance as the eyes of the nation are on us this November.”

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund has endorsed Fairfax County School Board Vice Chair Karl Frisch and Fairfax County School Board candidates Robyn Lady and Kyle McDaniel, who identify as lesbian and bisexual respectively. 

Michael Pruitt would become the first openly bisexual man elected to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors if he were to win on Nov. 7. Blacksburg Town Councilman Michael Sutphin and Big Stone Gay Town Councilman Tyler Hughes, who are both gay, are running for re-election.

“Tyler will be a critical voice for equality as the only out LGBTQ+ person on the Big Stone Gap Town Council,” says the Victory Fund on its website.

Cal Benn contributed to this article.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has a lot at stake with the potential for his party to win control over both chambers of the state’s General Assembly in November and the growing chorus high profile GOP donors urging him to run for president.

Appearing before a crowd of Republican voters last month in Salem, Va., alongside state Sen. David Suetterlein (R-Roanoke), the governor was flanked by a huge sign that read, “Parents Matter,” a message that Youngkin’s 2021 gubernatorial campaign had used to fire up conservative Virginians concerned about education policies, including LGBTQ matters.

However, the Washington Post notes that while “parental rights” arguments were previously focused on opposition to pro-LGBTQ policies, pandemic mask mandates, and the teaching of critical race theory in Virginia schools, “this year’s edition is decidedly more middle-of-the-road.”

During campaign events for GOP state legislature candidates in battleground districts across the state, Youngkin has been “treading carefully around the red meat occasionally served up by his audiences,” steering “comments back toward the catchall idea of parents being involved in their kids’ lives,” the Post reports.

For instance, during last month’s event with Suetterlein, a member of the audience said her daughter had been “brainwashed” on social media into believing it possible for someone to be both gay and a Christian, which Youngkin addressed by urging parents to “be engaged” in their kids’ lives and educate them on the dangers of social media.

At the same time, Youngkin’s tenure as governor has seen a flurry of anti-LGBTQ policies, especially targeting youth, schools and the transgender community, which, unlike his “parents’ rights” rhetoric, has not abated or become less extreme.

Last month, the governor reportedly took down a page on the Virginia Department of Health’s website that offered two links for LGBTQ youth to access resources after the right-wing news outlet The Daily Wire inquired about it.

Last year, the Human Rights Campaign wrote, “Youngkin unveiled a new directive restricting the rights of transgender students in schools, ordering all 133 school districts to adopt policies that would require transgender students to use facilities and participate in activities corresponding with their sex assigned at birth.”

When running for governor in 2021, Youngkin appeared on Fox News to defend a teacher who was suspended for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns, vowing to “stand up for teachers and parents against these kinds of cancel culture initiatives.”

HRC and Equality Virginia in March counted more than two dozen anti-LGBTQ bills that were introduced by Youngkin’s GOP allies in the legislature during this session, all of which were ultimately defeated as Democrats have retained control of the upper chamber.

These included:

• A measure to ban gender affirming care for transgender youth, which also sought to erode anti-discrimination protections for health insurers and permit the companies to opt out of covering gender affirming care for adults,
• A policy requiring schools to “out” students by informing parents when their child has disclosed experiences of gender dysphoria or asked any employee of their school to participate in their social transitioning, such as by using preferred names or pronouns, and requiring parental consent “prior to the implementation at such school of any plan concerning any gender incongruence”,
• A requirement for students to obtain a court order to change a student’s name on any school record, and
• Legislation requiring parental consent and notification when their child participates in any Gender-Sexuality Alliance or Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club at school.

The Virginia High School League, the group that oversees school sports in Virginia, has said it will not change its policy that allows transgender athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identity.

The Virginia Department of Education last week released its updated guidelines for trans and nonbinary students. 

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in a statement said “all children in Virginia deserve to have a parent engaged in their life and to be treated with dignity and respect” and the “updated model policies reaffirm my administration’s continued commitment to ensure that every parent is involved in conversations regarding their child’s education, upbringing and care.”

The new guidelines do not specifically address trans and nonbinary student athletes, but the Washington Post on Wednesday reported the policy “suggests students should play on the team that matches their biological sex.”

The Virginia High School League in 2014 adopted a policy that allows a student athlete to file an appeal in order to play on a team that corresponds with their gender identity. Virginia High School League Executive Director Billy Haun told the Post his group does not plan to change the policy.

“As the VHSL fall sport season begins this week, I am recommending the league stay with the current policy which has served us well,” wrote Haun on Monday in a memo. “We certainly will respect the decision of any school division as they address their policies and will continue to review this matter as we move forward and the new school year begins.”

A Virginia Senate subcommittee earlier this year tabled a bill that would have banned trans students from joining school sports teams consistent with their gender identity.