Gay Republican Defends Anti-Marriage Equality Running Mate Amid Nazi Porn Allegations
John Reid, the openly gay Republican running for Virginia lieutenant governor, says his ticket mate, Winsome Earle-Sears, is “100% against” marriage equality. He made the admission on The Wilkow Majority radio show when asked where they disagree. “She’s not for gay marriage. She’s 100% against it,” Reid said.
This is Virginia GOP Lt. Governor candidate John Reid. He was just linked to a blog that has been sharing Nazi porn since 2014.
— Protect Kamala Harris ✊ (@DisavowTrump20) October 1, 2025
RETWEET to let Virginians know about Reid's scandal! pic.twitter.com/Vb0U5eAkul
Earle-Sears has a long paper trail on this.
A 2004 candidate survey shows she called homosexuality an “immoral lifestyle choice,” backed firing gay workers, and opposed adoption by same-sex couples. This year, she added a handwritten note to House Bill 174, a bill protecting access to marriage licenses for same-sex couples, saying she remained “morally opposed” to its content. In May, she told a Richmond TV reporter she supports civil unions instead of marriage.
Reid is making these comments while batting away an online-porn controversy. In April, Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged him to exit the race after a Tumblr account with a handle matching Reid’s Instagram reposted explicit images. Reid denied any connection and stayed in. A newer story alleged the same account engaged with Nazi-themed porn; Reid denies it. Treat that last detail as an allegation, not a verified fact.
The stakes are not abstract.
Virginia still has a 2006 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage sitting on the books. It is dormant under Obergefell v. Hodges, but would snap back if the U.S. Supreme Court ever reversed the ruling. Democrats advanced a repeal-and-protect amendment this year.
In Virginia, amendments must pass in two sessions with an election in between before going to voters. Control of the House of Delegates in November could decide whether the measure returns in 2026. Reid has said he would vote against the package of rights amendments, including marriage.
Watch @JohnReid4VA do what he does best — inspire — at the launch of Veterans for John Reid this morning in Norfolk, with the mighty USS Wisconsin standing proudly behind him. ⚓️🇺🇸
— Yael Levin 🎗️🇺🇸🇮🇱🗽 (@Yael4Hanover) October 8, 2025
One of John’s many meaningful chapters was serving as Communications Director for Iraq and… https://t.co/2KxzHs6YbF pic.twitter.com/219CRXILoc
So the ticket is this: a gay candidate asking LGBTQ+ voters to back a running mate who opposes marriage equality, while he opposes locking that equality into the state constitution. Voters do not need a decoder ring to read that.
