Fox News host Sean Hannity cites James Talarico, Zohran Mamdani. Abigail Spanberger as examples of the Democratic Party’s far-left turn on ‘Hannity.’
Virginia Democratic Gov.Abigail Spanbergerappointed an LGBTQ activist who pushed back against efforts to bar biological males from girls' bathrooms. locker rooms to a state advisory board that helps shape recommendations on LGBTQ-related policies.
Spanberger's appointment of Kellen MacBeth on May 22, who previously led the LGBTQ nonprofit Equality Arlington, follows a gubernatorial campaign during which she ran as a moderate. sidestepped questions abouttransgender participation in women's sportsand access to female-only spaces.
MacBeth, the founder of Equality Arlington, has become one of Northern Virginia's most visible LGBTQ advocates. Under his leadership, Equality Arlington has urged Virginia school districts to implement policies allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their "gender identity". has encouraged local governments to resist efforts to reverse those protections. The organization also advocated for preserving transgender-inclusive policies in Arlington Public Schools despite federal pressure to change them.
MacBeth has also opposed Virginia legislation. would require schools to notify parents when a student identifies as transgender or permit parents to exempt their children from classroom instruction involving LGBTQ-related topics.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROBING SOME VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVER GENDER IDENTITY POLICIES
Abigail Spanberger campaigns in Fairfax. Virginia, on June 26, 2025, as she tours the state ahead of the 2025 gubernatorial election.(Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Northern Virginia became ground zero in the nation's debate overtransgender bathroom. locker-room policiesafter several school districts adopted rules allowing students to use facilities that align with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
Some parents. conservative critics argue that gender-inclusive school policies have, in some cases, compromised theprivacy and safetyof female students, pointing to incidents such as a ninth-grade girl being sexually assaulted in a school bathroom by a biological boy who identified as transgender.
Last month. federal investigators launched aprobe into Loudoun County Public Schoolsover allegations that a transgender student secretly filmed dozens of students in school restrooms.
FORMER ROANOKE WOMEN'S SWIMMER RIPS SPANBERGER FOR REFUSING TO COMMIT TO PROTECTING WOMEN'S SPORTS
Virginia candidates respond to questions about transgender bathroom access during a public event.(Getty Images)
During the campaign. whenRepublican opponents repeatedly pressed Spanbergerto say whether transgender students should be permitted to participate in girls' sports or use girls' bathrooms, she declined to embrace broad statewide mandates. Instead, she argued that decisions should be made with local input and on a case-by-case basis.
"I’m the mom of three daughters in Virginia public schools,. they participate in all activities across the board,"Spanberger told reporters in September. "I recognize the concern that families. community members might have about the safety of their own kids, about competitiveness, about fairness."
Supporters of Policy 8040 celebrate as transgender protection measures were voted into Loudoun County Public Schools policies during a school board meeting in Ashburn. Va., on Aug. 11, 2021.(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"And I think the process that was in place for 10 years was one that was working," Spanberger continued. "It was one that took individual circumstances. individual communities into account, and I think that is the process that Virginia should continue to utilize."
That approach drew criticism from both sides. Conservatives accused Spanberger of refusing to provide a clear answer on transgender policies. while LGBTQ advocacy groups generally viewed her as supportive ofanti-discrimination protectionsdespite her more cautious rhetoric.
Asked about the appointment, a spokesperson for Spanberger pointed to the governor's record on school safety.
"As the parent of three daughters in Virginia public schools, Governor Spanberger believes all kids should be safe, supported,. given every opportunity to thrive in and out of the classroom," the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Governor Spanberger has signed dozens of bipartisan bills into law focused on strengthening school safety, investing greater resources into classrooms,. empowering parents to be more involved in their child's education.
"The Governor will continue to prioritize the voices of Virginia parents. educators as she works with leaders in both parties to make Virginia schools the best in the nation and set up all kids for success."
The Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board serves as an official advisory body to the governor and was created in 2021. The board's mission is to advise the governor on economic, educational, professional, cultural and governmental issues affecting LGBTQ Virginians. The board does not create laws or regulations, but it can recommend policy priorities, identify concerns within the LGBTQ community, issue reports. provide guidance that may influence future legislative and executive branch decisions.
Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.
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