Arlington GOP makes classy move in “racist Boomer” incident

Leave a CommentArlington GOP makes classy move in “racist Boomer” incidentNews

On August 21, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia, an incident occurred during a protest outside a school board meeting where Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Black Republican and gubernatorial candidate, was speaking about transgender issues in education, including her opposition to shared bathrooms for transgender individuals. A white woman, affiliated with the progressive Arlington-based group “We of Action Virginia” (WoFAVA), held up a sign directed at Earle-Sears that read: “HEY WINSOME, IF TRANS CAN’T SHARE YOUR BATHROOM THEN BLACKS CAN’T SHARE MY WATER FOUNTAIN.”

The sign appeared to be an attempt to draw an analogy between Earle-Sears’ stance on transgender bathroom access and historical racial segregation, but it was widely criticized as racist and offensive, particularly for invoking Jim Crow-era “whites only” water fountains in a way that demeaned Black people. The protest took place amid Earle-Sears’ campaign for governor, where she is running against Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant, Marine veteran, and the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia, has been vocal on conservative education policies.

Photos and videos of the sign quickly went viral on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), sparking outrage primarily from conservative commentators who accused Democrats of hypocrisy and underlying racism. In a widely shared video from the event, a man—identified in some posts as Steve Baker, chair of the Arlington Democrats—approaches the woman and informs her that her sign is “getting a lot of play on TV right now… negative.” She responds with a shrug and indifference, showing no immediate remorse.

The woman, later identified as Anita Martineau, a leftist activist, was wearing a “WoFava” shirt, linking her to the group led by Micaela Pond and Chris Adair, which focuses on progressive activism in the area.

Reactions and Aftermath

  • Winsome Earle-Sears: She condemned the sign on X, stating, “This is the ‘tolerant’ left Abigail Spanberger defends. I’m the sitting Lieutenant Governor, second in command in the former Capitol of the confederate states. I’m an immigrant, a Marine and above all, a human being. There is no place for this disgusting hatred in our Commonwealth. Anyone who doesn’t condemn this sign is complicit in approving it.” 
  • Abigail Spanberger’s Campaign: The Democratic candidate issued a statement calling the sign “racist, abhorrent and unacceptable,” though some critics described it as lukewarm. 
  • Conservative and Republican Voices: Figures like former Georgia state representative Vernon Jones labeled it as evidence of “white liberals” being the “most racist in America,” urging Black Democrats to “wake up.” Other posts from Republican committees in Virginia, such as Woodbridge GOP and Orange County GOP, echoed this, calling the sign “vile” and “disgraceful.” Many highlighted it as an example of why Democrats are losing minority voters. 
  • Broader Commentary: Critics argued the analogy was flawed, as transgender identity involves gender rather than immutable characteristics like race, and accused the protester of trivializing civil rights history. Some liberal sources, including local media like WUSA 9, covered the protest but reportedly avoided directly addressing the sign’s content. The incident fueled discussions about political polarization in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, where recent polls show Spanberger leading but Earle-Sears gaining ground. 

The event has not led to any reported legal actions as of August 23, 2025, but it has amplified debates on race, tolerance, and transgender rights in Virginia politics. While the sign’s creator intended it as satire or protest, the consensus from reactions is that it crossed into hateful territory, exposing tensions within progressive activism.

Arlington GOP thanked the protester

Matthew Hurtt, chairman of the Arlington GOP in Virginia, sent a handwritten note to Anita.