In a recent episode of political theatre that would make Shakespeare blush, Democrats in the Virginia state Senate decided to derail a hearing on Monday. What was the cause of such drama, you ask? Well, it all started when Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, a Republican, responded “yes sir” to an inquiry from Sen. Danica Roem. Now, Roem, who identifies as a woman but has a rather deep voice, didn’t take too kindly to this.
The exchange began innocently enough. Roem asked Sears about the number of votes needed to pass a particular bill with the emergency clause. In the midst of flipping through papers and managing the meeting, Sears absentmindedly replied, “Yes, sir, that would be 32.”
What happened next? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. Roem stormed out of the room, missing the vote and causing quite the commotion. A shout echoed through the chamber, but it wasn’t clear who made the sound or what was said. Adding to the chaos, several Democrat senators began leaving the room, and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, whose turn it was to describe the next bill, refused to speak.
After a short recess, the body reconvened, and Sears tried to keep things moving by recognizing Sen. Hashmi again. But Hashmi still wouldn’t speak, forcing Sears to put the Senate back in recess. When they resumed, Sears appeared irritated but composed. She addressed the incident, saying, “I said something that upset Sen. Roem. Let it be known I am not here to upset anyone. I am here to do the job that the people of Virginia have called me to do and that is to treat everyone with respect and dignity.”
WATCH: Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears calls trans Sen. Danica Roem ‘sir’ and Roem storms out of the chamber
“I’m not here to upset anyone. I am here to do the job the people of VA have called me to do,” said Lt. Gov. Sears. pic.twitter.com/QUshPogqDJ
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 26, 2024
Sears went on to acknowledge her frequent mistakes with names and even admitted to accidentally putting “the House” into recess instead of the Senate. She apologized and clarified that there was no intent to offend.
But were the Democrats satisfied? Nope. The Democratic Party of Virginia refused to accept Sears’ apology, writing on social media, “We will not forget this smear.”
This incident comes on the heels of another controversy involving Sen. Hashmi. Earlier this month, Hashmi’s education committee killed Sage’s Law, a bill passed by the House of Delegates last session that would prevent schools from hiding a child’s gender transition from their parents. Named after Sage, a girl who was trafficked by a registered sex offender, the law aimed to ensure parents are informed about their child’s struggles at school.
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? Well, it seems that in the world of politics, a simple slip of the tongue can lead to an uproar. But one must wonder, is this really about a misgendering mistake, or is it just another example of political grandstanding? After all, it’s easier to walk out of a room than to engage in a constructive dialogue, isn’t it?