What is the effect of a 1-g gust on stall margins?

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A 1-g gust adds one additional g of lift on the airplane, pushing you toward the stall by increasing the load factor beyond what you’re currently using. That shrinks the margin before you reach the stall, i.e., it reduces stall margin. Maneuvering speed, Va, is the speed at which full control input cannot produce a load factor beyond the limit. In gusts, staying at or below Va helps limit how much load the gust can impose, providing protection against exceeding structural limits and, by keeping you within safe load ranges, reducing the chance of hitting the stall region during the gust. So gusts reduce stall margin, and Va helps by limiting load increases. Gusts don’t increase stall margin, Va doesn’t become useless, and Vref isn’t directly reduced by a gust.