Virginia Governor Spanberger Withdraws Proposed Rule Barring Biological Males from Girls’ Sports

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger quietly ended a rulemaking process that would have barred biological males from competing on female‑only athletic teams and using female‑designated spaces such as locker rooms and bathrooms. The withdrawal, effective July 30 2026, was not announced publicly and appeared only on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website. The proposal had begun under former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, following a petition by female athletes in April 2025 and a unanimous 14‑0 vote by the Virginia State Board of Health in August 2025 to develop the regulations. The state’s Department of Education had already issued model policies in 2023 directing schools to separate teams and facilities by biological sex, but implementation varied across districts. With the July withdrawal, no further actions remain under the proposed regulatory chapter, ending the state‑wide effort to create a new framework for organized female sports and sex‑separated facilities.