Virginia Moves Closer to Killing Gay Marriage Ban
Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) claimed that the measure should be defeated because it does not address the ability of religious clergy to decline to perform marriages.However, last year, the House and Senate passed a law, signed into effect by Republican Gov.
Glenn Youngkin, that protects the right of same-sex couples to marry and allows any religious clergy or organizations to refuse to perform or participate in a same-sex wedding.
Democrats pointed to that precise law to prove that religious objectors are already protected.LGBTQ advocates fully expect anti-LGBTQ forces to run well-financed attack ads regurgitating Freitas’ flawed arguments — reminiscent of those used to argue against marriage equality in other states over a decade ago — should the repeal measure ever make it to the ballot.Similarly, Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock) — an anti-LGBTQ lawmaker, who, when he was Speaker of the House, blocked votes to repeal the ban on same-sex nuptials — objected to the fact that the amendment doesn’t distinguish between sex and gender.“That notion should at least give us pause that maybe this is not ready, and that pushing ahead with it is not in the best interest of Virginia,” he said, as reported by Virginia Public Media.The fate of the amendment to overturn the prohibition on same-sex couples marrying relies heavily on the ability of Democrats to retain control over the House of Delegates in next November’s elections when voters will also elect a new governor and lieutenant governor and decide whether to grant right-wing Attorney General Jason Miyares a second term.
Under Virginia law, a proposed constitutional amendment must be approved by a majority of the legislature in two separate sessions that are separated by a state election cycle.
