Virginia Marriage Ammendment

[dcseain]

In November, we in Virginia will vote on a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Virgnia. This is the text of the amendment, as it will appear on the ballot, and potentially be added to the Constitution of Virginia:

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

Governor Kaine is opposed to this ammendment; here's the press release. To say the least, this amendment is far-reaching, and discriminates against much more than lesbians and gay men.

As one born and raised here, i am apalled by this amendment. I fear it will lead to another case like Loving v. Virgninia 388 U.S. 1 (1967) Docket Number: 395, a recent, shameful, lowpoint in Virginia history.

Sunday 25 June, 7-9 p.m. at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, 5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207, there's an HRC event: It's Not Just About Marriage: Virginia Marriage Amendment Teach-In.

You may want to attend, or know someone who should attend. Details are behind the cut, and they would appreciate that RSVP. We MUST fight this amendment.

It's Not Just About Marriage:
Virginia Marriage
Amendment
Teach-In
 
Sunday, June
25th
7-9 p.m.
Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ
       5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207

WHY: The November ballot in
Virginia has a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would go
well beyond prohibiting same-sex marriage, civil unions, and
domestic partnerships.  It would also discriminate against
unmarried couples (same- or opposite-sex), outlawing
any other legal arrangements with marriage-like rights and
benefits.  The Amendment will become law if it is passed in
November. 

Come learn more about the far-reaching
implications of the Amendment and steps that you can take to
help defeat it.

Speakers
include:

                   
State Senator Janet Howell                      


THE POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE
  
Reverend Dr.
Janet Parker
Associate Pastor, Rock Spring UCC
THE
SPIRITUAL DIMENSION

Leslie Nickel
Member, Board of Social Action,
Rock Spring UCC
Partner, Arnold & Porter
THE LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga
Executive Director,
The Commonwealth Coalition
DEFEATING THE AMENDMENT:
WHAT
YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to JOHNSON1966@COX.NET or Rock Spring at 703-538-4886

Comments

[scarlettj9.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. I've marked my calendar to make sure I do actualy go and vote against this mess.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Yay! Spread the word, i think most people do not understand how very far-reaching this amendment is.

[ftemery.livejournal.com]

I wonder how they plan to define man and woman.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Legal definition of the individual(s) involved, which may or may not match the inidividual's(') birth/genetic gender. We do have pre- and post-op trannies here, if not nearly as many as in MD or PA.

[lordlnyc.livejournal.com]

I am in NYC, so all I can do is send you my best wishes and prayers in voting this crap down!

-Larry-

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Much appreciated, Sir. I know that a number of my readers are not in VA, or even near here, but i figured that yall should be aware.

[lordlnyc.livejournal.com]

And thank you for the information. Not sure with what group I will be marching with this Sunday (PFLAG, leather, bi section, there are others), but I will pass the information along to others in NYC.

Not sure if I can but I will try to see if I can have this alert put onto the nyabn.org or bialogue.org webpages.

-Larry-

[quentinor.livejournal.com]

Doen't this state already do that discrimination thing anyway? It is very live and well outside the DC area and in southern and and rual Virginia. Already the local courts and business discriminate and get way with it as it is. Remember my rants on Psycho Jeez-zus boy my old biggoted redneck boss?

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, the courts have protected gay rights more than once. I'll find the citations later, but two cases:

A mother in Roanoke sued the school system because Heather Has Two Mommies was in the school library. The Circuit Court there said it was the parents duty to regulate what the child reads, not the library's duty to limit the selection of literature.

A conservative Christian couple, also in Roanoke, tried to evict theire tenants when they learned the men were a couple. The Circuit Court found that they could not evict the men for that, so long as they do not violate lease. Their only recourse was to screen applicants more carefully, and in the case of the two men, to choose not to renew the lease when it was up, because a lease need not be renewed by either party.

So though anti-gay discrimination is alive and well in all sorts of places, VA Courts, some in conservative areas, have upheld gay rights in important, if sometimes subtle, ways.

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

That was me.

You dont get down to Hampton Roads and southern Va much do you?

[quentinor.livejournal.com]

Not down in Hampton/Newport News depends on the judge, and the local politicians who run the area. But there is a lot of employment discrimination against gay people especially in the rual surrounding counties. Even some some condo associations have gotten away with screwing over gay couples who pay their dues over bogus complaints from "unnamed neighbors" and the courts are almost powerless when housing bylaw violations can be determined on "hear-say" cases. Employer harassment and discrimination is also alive and well where anybody who is unmarriwd and assumed to be gay wether they are or not still had it rough. I know at my former employer who are openly gay and at the same time they get all the shit work and worst assignments and are the first to get in trouble. What baffles me is thry are too scared to stand up fir themselves and let themselves get fucked over more and more. Of course if you fight it like I did it gets pretty bad too. There have been law suits but nobody got nothjng and all the lawyers and courts do is stall and continue the cases until a decicion is made and nothing wiol come until it gets to federal court after years of stalling and continuances.

What justice???? In this state? Most of this state sucks for gay people and for any who are different especially anywhere below
Fredricksburg,and Spottsylvania County.


I honestly feel has already been in force. They are just making it official because they feel they can get away with it and spread their biggotry to the normal part of the stae. i.e. Northern Va.

It is why one reason I feel Northern Virginia should be it's own friggin state and broken off from the rest of the commonwealth.

So going to the authorities where I used to live at? Or to the approiate agencies in the locality is pretty pointless and useless. They often turn a blind eye to it. You have tio get action from a federal level. But the fed won't step in until after you have tried everything on a local and state level, and after you have depleted your resources and can proove so. So unless you have a double digit thousands at your disposal? Forget it.


But what the hel do I know about Va. Politics??? *shrug* Just know people who hve been screwed and ignored by this state when discrimination is an issue. If it is a drisciminaion issues against a black person that is one thing but I feel this state as a whole hardly consider any discrimination against a gay person as any actual discrimination.


Just my thoughts and personal experiences on the matter.

Re: You dont get down to Hampton Roads and southern Va much do you?

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Your points are quite valid, and you're absolutely right, i don't go below Northern VA very often. From my POV, Virginia starts below the Rappahannock, and it's a whole other world down there. Like many of us from NoVA, I identify more with DC than with VA, to, the point that we refer to 'taking a trip to Virginia' when we go to other parts of the state.

I've met plenty of people, mostly blacks, gays, and trans, over the years who have moved up here due to discrimination they faced in the region the were from. So, i am aware it's not as easy for non-white and/or non-straight people living in other parts of VA as it is here.

Politics up here is notably different than downstate, too.

I'll also point out that in both the cases cited above, the Courts, not other civil authorities, made the decisions, and that the school and school board defending the availability of the book is a part of the government. OF course, schools do not provide protection to individuals in any meaningful way as the police or social services ought to.

I'm very fortunate to have grown up when and where i did. I had it as easy as could be hoped for as someone growing up gay.

Re: You dont get down to Hampton Roads and southern Va much do you?

[quentinor.livejournal.com]

I agree! You are very fortunate to have grown up in a normal part of the state. One of the reasons I came to DC and NoVa is because of it's openess to diversity.

Where I used to live it was tough to be black or gay or anywhere different other than an inbread redneck biggoted ass.

Re: You dont get down to Hampton Roads and southern Va much do you?

[quentinor.livejournal.com]

I agree! You are very fortunate to have grown up in a normal part of the state. One of the reasons I came to DC and NoVa is because of it's openess to diversity.

Where I used to live it was tough to be black or gay or anywhere different other than an inbread redneck biggoted ass.