Fireworks erupted in the Virginia State Senate Monday afternoon after Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears referred to transgender Sen. Danica Roem as “sir” during floor deliberations.
The House was forced into recess twice due to Democrats’ tantrums because Sears initially refused to apologize.
NEW: hearing @WinsomeSears refering to @pwcdanica on the @VASenato floor as “sir”.
The House went into recess twice after “Sears reportedly refused to apologize.”
“I’m not here to upset anyone, I’m here to do the job that the people at VA called me to do.” #CHOICE pic.twitter.com/IyO8JaAQIG
— BK (@BradKutner) February 26, 2024
“I understand Senator Roem is upset,” Sears said. “I’m not here to upset anyone. I am here to do the work that the people of Virginia called me to do.”
Yahoo News reports: “Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears ultimately said he was sorry, but did not specifically say so to Sen. Danica Roem, D-Prince William County. Instead, he looked at every section of the room and said, ‘I apologize.'”
“However, she appeared agitated in issuing that apology, saying that while she meant no disrespect in her comment, she chastised Senate Democrats for what she said was ‘showing disrespect to me,’” the report adds .
The Washington Blade reports: “Roem in 2018 became the first trans person to sit in a state legislature in the country when she took her seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.”