Full Breakdown
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger Ends Anti-Transgender Health Regulation
By Drooid · · How we work
Regulation Withdrawal
On July 30, Virginia’s regulatory docket recorded the withdrawal of a proposed rule that would have used the Virginia Board of Health to bar transgender women and girls from women-only athletic teams, bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces where people may be undressed. The action concluded after the public comment period closed, during which 321 comments were submitted. No preliminary regulation had been drafted before the withdrawal.
Background & Context
The effort originated in the final months of former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration. After the Board of Health unanimously approved a petition in August 2025 to exclude transgender people from women’s sports and sex-separated facilities, Youngkin directed the board in October to proceed, framing the restrictions as a public-health measure to protect “women and girls.” The proposal was part of a broader agenda that, in 2023, introduced model school policies limiting the names and pronouns staff may use for students and assigning restrooms and locker rooms based on sex assigned at birth. Those policies replaced earlier affirming guidance and sparked student walkouts and resistance from several school districts.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Spanberger, after speaking at Virginia PrideFest, said the administration determined the Board of Health lacked authority to impose the restrictions and consulted with Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones’ office before deciding to withdraw the rule. Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman praised the decision, stating that transgender Virginians deserve to use public facilities without fear of discrimination.
Data & Statistics
- Withdrawal recorded: July 30 (outcome listed as “Withdrawn”).
- Public comment submissions: 321.
- September 11: The King George County School Board reversed its ban on middle-school Gay-Straight Alliances, restoring students’ ability to organize non-curricular groups, while its separate anti-transgender policy remained in effect.
- The Virginia Department of Education continues to list the 2023 guidance as the state’s current model policy for schools.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There’s no legal authority to move forward with rulemaking and prior administrations may have tried to create lanes, and we’re not doing that,” — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger