Terry McAuliffe in a costly, high-profile race last year. Youngkin, a former private equity executive, became the first Republican in almost a decade to occupy the governor's mansion in this blue-leaning state after defeating former Democratic Gov. March for Our Lives Rallies Call for New Gun Laws After Shootings “I think this demonstration of outreach, of genuine communication is reflective of why he was elected,' said Michael Berlucchi, a city councilman from Virginia Beach, Republican and member of the state's LGBTQ+ Advisory Board who attended the reception. But Youngkin's supporters held up the event as an example of the conservative governor living up to a central campaign promise to serve as a unifier who cares for all his constituents. The event astonished and angered many LGBTQ advocates, who called the festivities hypocritical and chose not to attend. Given those positions, it generated some bipartisan surprise in Richmond this week when he hosted a reception celebrating Pride month at the Virginia Capitol.
He opposed transgender children playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identity, and he indicated a personal objection to same-sex marriage. When Republican Glenn Youngkin was running to be Virginia's governor, he defended a teacher suspended over an objection to using students' preferred pronouns.
