A Virginia state senator stormed out of the chamber after being misgendered as "sir" by the lieutenant governor in a confrontation that caused the Virginia legislature to go into recess twice, the The Daily Mail reported Tuesday.
In video footage of the exchange, Sen. Danica Roem, who is transgender and a Democrat, can be heard asking: "Madame President, how many votes would it take to pass this bill with the emergency clause?"
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican replied, "Yes, sir, that would be 32," at which point Roem marched out of the room.
After initially refusing to apologize, Earle-Sears later was contrite, according to The Sacramento Bee.
"I am not here to upset anyone. I am here to do the job that the people of Virginia have called me to do," Earle-Sears told the chamber. "That is to treat everyone with respect and dignity. I myself have at times not been afforded that same respect and dignity."
Earle-Sears made it clear that, "in this body, as long as I am president of the Senate, and by the grace of God, I will be treated with respect and dignity. And I will treat everyone else with respect and dignity."
She reiterated that "we are all equal under the law. I apologize, and I would hope everyone would understand there's no intent to offend."
Roem, who is the first transgender senator elected to Virginia's upper chamber, has not commented publicly since the interaction.