Virginia State Senate, Democratic Senator Danica A. Roem, 39, walked out of the chamber after being referred to as ‘sir’ by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, 59.
Roem, who is the first transgender member of the House of Delegates, had asked Earle-Sears about the necessary votes to pass a bill.
The Lieutenant Governor responded with ‘Yes sir,’ causing Roem to leave the chamber. Earle-Sears initially refused to apologize but later apologized to the chamber.
Apologising immediately after the incident, Sears said; “I upset Sen. Roem,” Sears said.
“Let it be known I am not here to upset anyone. I am here to do the job 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, 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 else with respect and dignity,” she added.
“It is never my intention to make anyone offended, and I hope that others would consider that they would try not to offend me as well,” she said. “We are all equal under the law. And so I apologize, I apologize, I apologize, and I would hope, I would hope, that everyone would understand there is no intent to offend but that we would also give each other the ability to forgive each other.”
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Following the incident, Roem returned home for the day and has not commented publicly. In 2017, she made history by unseating a 13-term incumbent Republican and became the first transgender member of the House of Delegates.
Last year, she became the first transgender senator in the state.
During her campaign, Roem faced derogatory comments from her opponent, who referred to her as ‘a guy who thinks he’s a girl who wears a dress.’
Despite the challenges, she emerged victorious and stressed the importance of transgender representation in government.
The incident with Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears highlights the ongoing struggles for transgender individuals in the political sphere.
Sears, a US Marines veteran, was elected alongside the state’s GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2021 and is considered a rising star in the Republican party.
The fallout from this incident adds an unexpected chapter to the political dynamics in Virginia.
