Virginia Removed LGBT Discrimination Protection

[southernstud]

The new (republican) governor of Virginia removed the rights of protection from discrimination from members of the LGBT community. It's hard to believe and imagine. I don't know if anyone on here would be willing, but please, visit

It doesn't matter who you contact, just visit Welcome to the Virginia General Assembly - Who's My Legislator? and pick any VA address or city, google a business if you have to.

Currently, protection was only offered as an order from the governor. The state is trying to push for a law, SB 66, which seeks to turn this protection into a law.

Nondiscrimination in state employment.  Prohibits discrimination in public employment based on race, color, religion,  national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age,  marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a special disabled veteran  or other veteran covered by the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment  Assistance Act of 1974, as amended. The bill defines "sexual orientation" as a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, or gender identity or expression. The bill expressly provides that "sexual orientation" shall not include any person's attraction toward persons with whom sexual conduct would be  illegal due to the age of the parties. The bill contains technical amendments.

The sad thing is that this has come to this. So please, if you are not familiar with the situation, just copy and paste

Dear Senator/Delegate:

I am writing with hopes to have your support of SB 66, Nondiscrimination in State Employment. The Commonwealth has long been admired for it's most notable resident, Thomas Jefferson, who stated that, "[The] best principles [of our republic] secure to all its citizens a perfect equality of rights." In this year, 2010, do not let the Commonwealth represent a failure to the founding fathers, instead, be a shining star and support equality for all residents of Virginia.

To let this bill fall to the side would be nothing more than a regression to times when it was acceptable to discriminate based on race and religion. Sexuality is the internal nature of a person, unlike religion (a choice), race and sexuality share the quality that they are outward identifiers of oneself. The notion of self and independence of self from oppression are what this great nation was founded on.

If you are American; If you are a Virginian; do not let the rights of one group be stripped away. Protect those who need protection. Do not let the voices of those who need to be heard be silenced by those who choose to deny reality.

Sincerely,

_______

 

[midlifebear]

Yeah, the great Republican Agenda. And so many GOP boosters insist they're just a big tent for everybody. In a pig's eye!

 

[gymfresh]

My heart aches. I have lived all over the US, but I will always be a Virginian. I hate to see the Colonies' original seat of enlightenment turn into a test ground for reactionary neocon ideas.

What a terrible gubernatorial election it was. The Democrats fielded an inept, unlikeable buffoon and the Republicans ran a telegenic überconservative masquerading as a centrist. And the media fell for calling the result a referendum on Obama.

I was one of the charter members of NoVaGA, the Northern Virginia Gay Alliance, back in 1981. We traveled several times to Richmond to lobby with the statewide gay rights organization for just crumbs from the table. Incrementally we succeeded in getting Virginia's attorney general to suspend antiquated anti-gay laws and in advancing some basic civil rights protections, like in public employment. It's infuriating that a new governor would be so bold and so cruel as to rescind those basic protections. I wonder what McDonnell's stated justifications were, if any.