Virginia gubernatorial candidate and current lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R) claimed in a televised debate that discriminating against gay people in the workplace isn’t discrimination.

Her opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), said that Earle-Sears has a “record of discrimination.”

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“Importantly, my opponent has previously said that she does not think that gay couples should be allowed to marry,” Spanberger said at the debate that was held last night at Norfolk State University.

“That’s not discrimination!” Earle-Sears interjected as the moderator tried to get her to quiet down so that Spanberger could speak. Throughout the debate, moderators had to repeatedly ask Earle-Sears to stop talking over Spanberger, who did not respond to her taunts.

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“My opponent has also previously said that she thinks it’s OK for someone to be fired from their job for being gay,” Spanberger continued. “That is discrimination.”

“That’s not discrimination!” Earle-Sears cried out.

Democrats denounced her debate performance.

Earle-Sears’ “homophobic comments at last night’s debate are disqualifying and prove once again how out of step she is with Virginians,” said DNC spokesperson Albert Fujii in a statement. “Virginians deserve a leader who will ensure Virginia is welcoming and affordable to everyone — and that champion is Abigail Spanberger.”

Spanberger’s statement about workplace discrimination is a reference to a 2004 candidate questionnaire on LGBTQ+ rights that Earle-Sears responded to when she was running for Congress. In that questionnaire, she wrote that homosexuality is an “immoral lifestyle choice” and said that she would oppose workplace discrimination protections for gay people.

While 2004 was a long time ago, any benefit of the doubt was erased last night as Earle-Sears stuck by her position that employers should be allowed to fire people just for being gay.

Earle-Sears has consistently opposed marriage equality throughout her career.

This may appear to be in conflict with her running mate, John Reid, being an out gay Republican. Reid even justified Earle-Sears’ homophobia in an interview that occurred before the debate, saying that it’s normal for her to dislike LGBTQ+ people because she’s Jamaican.

While Earle-Sears was born in Kingston, she moved with her family to the Bronx at age 6, attended school, including college, in the U.S., and served in the Marines. She is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Earle-Sears has made transphobic attacks central to her gubernatorial campaign.

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