rights
Conservatives outraged that a governor appointed a trans rights supporter to an LGBTQ+ board
By Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation
· June 17, 2026
· 3 min read
Conservatives are up in arms over the fact that Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) appointed a trans rights supporter to the state’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Kellen MacBeth, the founder and president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Arlington, has "a long history of pushing gender transitions for m
Key takeaway This year, Equality Arlington also launched the Arlington Trans Youth Quilt Project, for which trans kids ages 5 through 19 created quilt squares to answer the question, "What does Freedom to Be mean to Me?
Why this matters
Local news anchors readers in their community — the people, places, and decisions that shape day-to-day life. LGBTQ News covers these stories because national outlets often won't.
About this story
Original reporting by LGBTQ Nation . LGBTQ News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit LGBTQ Nation . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: rights ·
Published: June 17, 2026 ·
Source: LGBTQ Nation ·
Reading time: 3 min
newsletter" aria-label="Newsletter signup" style="margin:24px 0;padding:20px 24px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e3a5f 0%,#2d5a8c 100%);border-radius:10px;color:#fff">
Get more LGBTQ News stories like this
Free weekly briefing covering rights and other local news. Curated by our editorial team. No spam.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy . Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Conservatives are up in arms over the fact that Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) appointed a trans rights supporter to the state’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Kellen MacBeth, the founder and president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Arlington, has "a long history of pushing gender transitions for m
When was this published? This article was first published on June 17, 2026 by LGBTQ Nation and curated for LGBTQ News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation. To learn more about how LGBTQ News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more rights coverage from LGBTQ News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .