Virginia
Karl Frisch sworn in with banned books
Fairfax County School Board member is incoming chair
Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch was sworn into office on Dec. 13 as the newly elected chair during the board’s regular meeting session.
Currently the board’s vice chairman, Frisch won reelection last month by more than 30 points and received a larger share of the vote (67 percent) and more total votes than in 2019, when he secured more votes than any school board candidate in Providence District history.
Frisch was elected as the board’s Providence District representative in 2019, becoming the board’s first openly gay member. Since assuming office, Frisch has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights and the American Civil Liberties Union, Capital Pride, FCPS Pride and other organizations have recognized him for it.
Following Dec. 13’s oath of office, the new board remains not only entirely Democratic but also diverse like the community it serves, with one Black member, one Hispanic member, two Indian American members, one Korean American member, three LGBTQ members, and three immigrant members. Additionally, women are the board’s majority, with seven members.
Frisch was sworn in on a stack of the five LGBTQ-themed books most frequently banned by other school systems. Those books included “Lawn Boy,” “Gender Queer,” “Flamer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” all of which have been criticized and flagged by other schools for sexual content. His action mirroring that of newly appointed Central Bucks Board of School Director Karen Smith in Bucks County, Pa.
Unlike other her newly sworn fellow board members who placed their hands on the more traditional Bible, Smith opted to use a stack of books on LGBTQ themes and race that had been banned by the previous board.
In a short speech, Frisch told the audience gathered in the auditorium: “Fairfax County residents want safe and inclusive schools with exceptional, well-compensated educators and equitable access to the rigorous academic and enrichment opportunities every student needs to succeed. I am grateful for the trust Providence District families have placed in me, and with tonight’s oath, I commit to standing strong for these values and advancing these priorities with my new and returning colleagues.”
Conservatives and right wing Christian groups expressed dismay and anger over Frisch’s actions.
The Convention of States, a far-right political action group, said: “Frisch has emerged as an enemy to one of the most fundamental rights in human society — a parent’s right to educate their kids according to their values. But more than that, by openly promoting pornography in a K-12 school, he has crossed a line that should be universally condemned.”
Former Trump White House Strategic Communications Director Mercedes Schlapp called it; “Disgusting.”
Chris Stigall, a right leaning talk-show radio host for Philadelphia’s AM-990 and Salem News Channel said; “This is the Left’s new thing. The new Central Bucks, Pa., School District president did the same. It’s not just shoving graphic materials in kids’ faces, it’s also extending a middle finger to believers at the same time.”
Christian conservative radio host and author Eric Metaxas said of Frisch; “We have never before seen American figures publicly mock God like this. It is a chilling thing. Pray for this nation every day. We are in a spiritual war between good and evil. God deliver us.”
Virginia
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Gay Alexandria City Council member becomes 8th LGBTQ member of legislature
Gay Alexandria City Council member Kirk McPike emerged as the decisive winner in a Feb. 10 special election for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Alexandria.
McPike, a Democrat, received 81.5 percent of the vote in his race against Republican Mason Butler, according to the local publication ALX Now.
He first won election to the Alexandria Council in 2021. He will be filling the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), who won in another Feb. 10 special election for the Virginia State Senate seat being vacated by gay Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria).
Ebbin is resigning from his Senate this week to take a position with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Upon taking his 5th District seat in the House of Delegate, McPike will become the eighth out LGBTQ member of the Virginia General Assembly. Among those he will be joining is Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who became the Virginia Legislature’s first transgender member when she won election to the House of Delegates in 2017 before being elected to the Senate in 2023.
“I look forward to continuing to work to address our housing crisis, the challenge of climate change, and the damaging impacts of the Trump administration on the immigrant families, LGBTQ+ Virginians, and federal employees who call Alexandria home,” McPike said in a statement after winning the Democratic nomination for the seat in a special primary held on Jan. 20.
McPike, a longtime LGBTQ rights advocate, has served for the past 13 years as chief of staff for gay U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and has remained in that position during his tenure on the Alexandria Council. He said he will resign from that position before taking office in the House of Delegates.
Virginia
Spanberger signs bill that paves way for marriage amendment repeal referendum
Proposal passed in two successive General Assembly sessions
Virginians this year will vote on whether to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Friday signed state Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-Fairfax County)’s House Bill 612, which finalized the referendum’s language.
The ballot question that voters will consider on Election Day is below:
Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to: (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?
Voters in 2006 approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is a Republican, in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
Two successive legislatures must approve a proposed constitutional amendment before it can go to the ballot.
A resolution to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2025. Lawmakers once again approved it last month.
“20 years after Virginia added a ban on same-sex marriage to our Constitution, we finally have the chance to right that wrong,” wrote Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman on Friday in a message to her group’s supporters.
Virginians this year will also consider proposed constitutional amendments that would guarantee reproductive rights and restore voting rights to convicted felons who have completed their sentences.
Lieutenant Gov. Ghazala Hashmi on Monday opened Equality Virginia’s annual Lobby Day in Richmond.
The Lobby Day was held at Virginia’s Capitol and was open to the public by RSVP. The annual event is one of the ways that Equality Virginia urges its supporters to get involved. It also offers informational sessions and calls to action through social media.
Hashmi, a former state senator, has been open about her support for the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. Her current advisor is Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman, and the group endorsed her for lieutenant governor.
Hashmi historically opposes anti-transgender legislation.
She opposed a 2022 bill that sought to take away opportunities from trans athletes.
One of the focuses of this year’s Lobby Day was protecting LGBTQ students. Another was protecting trans youth’s access to gender-affirming care.
Advocates spent their day in meetings and dialogues with state legislators and lawmakers about legislative priorities and concerns.
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