Spanberger sparks outrage after slipping in transgender sports rule changes

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration quietly ended a Youngkin-era rulemaking that would have required school sports and some private spaces to be divided by sex.

The proposal would have barred biological males from female-only teams and from designated female spaces where girls or women might be undressed.

Health Commissioner Cameron Webb told the Richmond Times-Dispatch the agency and the governor’s office “did not proceed with the proposed regulation.”

The withdrawal was dated July 30, 2026, on the state’s regulatory site, after the comment period had closed. There was no news release. Attention arrived weeks later.

Former Del. Kim Taylor told Fox, “My jaw dropped when I saw the news.” Critics called the method sneaky: kill a pending protection without a public fight.

Youngkin had started a multi-year process. Spanberger’s team stopped it before it became a finished rule.

The dispute sits inside the national fight over transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Supporters of the old proposal said fairness and safety were the point. The administration offered little public explanation.

Fox News Digital sought comment from Spanberger and Youngkin’s team.