Tag Archives: Virginia

BOOM. The Washington Blade reports: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday vetoed a religious freedom bill that critics said would have allowed anti-LGBT discrimination. McAuliffe said in a statement that Senate Bill 41 is “nothing more than an attempt to stigmatize.” “This legislation is also bad for business and creates roadblocks as we try to build the new Virginia economy,” …

The Virginian-Pilot reports: Legislation that has passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled General Assembly says no minister or religious organization can be penalized for acting in accordance with a belief that marriage should be only between a man and a woman. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has promised to veto it. The House of Delegates passed the measure 59-38 on Wednesday. …

The protests apparently worked. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Republicans in the Senate and House of Delegates are poised to elect Court of Appeals Judge Stephen R. McCullough of Spotsylvania County to the Supreme Court of Virginia, after former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took himself out of the running. “Teiro and I gave serious and prayerful consideration to accepting this honor,” …

Anti-LGBT former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was yesterday nominated to the Virginia Supreme Court by a state Senate panel. The Washington Blade has some reactions: Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, on Tuesday noted that the former attorney general in 2008 described the “homosexual agenda” as “something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction, not only physically but …

So far there have been no surprises, no upsets. Rubio did put up respectable numbers in Virginia, but its looking like he’ll go home empty-handed tonight. Not so, perhaps, for Ted Cruz, who holds a comfortable lead in Texas at this writing. Former Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton coasted to an easy win in her former home state, as expected.

Almost immediately after the polls there closed, CNN called the states of Georgia and Virgina for Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders is projected to win his home state of Vermont. No surprises so far. Donald Trump currently has a 3-point lead over Marco Rubio in Virginia. UPDATE: CNN has called Georgia for Trump.

Today the Human Rights Campaign, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights will file a joint federal fraud complaint against a Virgina-based ex-gay torture group. Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: The 38-page complaint, obtained in advance by the Blade, is set to be filed before the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and accuses “People …

And yet another big loss for the Liberty Counsel. Via the Washington Blade: A Virginia judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against the Fairfax County School District’s nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. FCPS Pride, a group that represents LGBT employees of the Fairfax County School District, welcomed the decision from the Fairfax County Circuit Court. “Our …

By a 20-19 vote, today the Virginia Senate approved a bill which allows government employees to refuse to officiate same-sex marriages because Jesus. The bill was sponsored by GOP state Sen. Charles Carrico [photo], who has introduced a slew of other anti-LGBT bills. Democratic Virginia state Sen. Adam Ebbin reacts via press release: Senator Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) expressed deep …

Brad Kutner of GayRVA, Virginia’s LGBT newspaper, was tipped this weekend about a state lawmaker spotted cruising on Grindr. Rather than publicly outing him for his anti-LGBT voting record, Kutner has published a lengthy open letter to him. A small excerpt: I know you’re obviously not out at work here at the General Assembly, but I have to ask why …

GOP Virginia state Del. Mark Cole wants to see what students have between their legs. Via Crooks & Liars: Cole wins the Creepiest Lawmaker of the Day award for this stunning piece of legislation, requiring that students strictly adhere to designated restroom assignments or risk being fined. The legislation as filed requires that students attending schools designating restrooms for a …

The Associated Press reports: A Republican lawmaker in Virginia is pushing legislation that would allow clerks to refuse to issue licenses for marriages they object to on moral or religious grounds. Republican Sen. Charles Carrico of Galax said many of his constituents were concerned about what happened to Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who spent five days in jail last …

Via press release: Today Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit against the School Board of Fairfax County, Virginia, for illegally changing its nondiscrimination policy so that it conflicts with the state’s policy. Virginia law explicitly prohibits local governing bodies from adding to, or removing protected classes from, the state’s nondiscrimination policy. In direct defiance, Fairfax has added new groups to its …

GOP Virginia Del. “Sideshow” Bob Marshall, who failed in his 2014 bid for the US House despite an endorsement from Phyllis Schlafly, is back with more crazy talk. Via Blue Virginia: Well, now the Virginia General Assembly is gearing up for its 2016 session, and Sideshow Bob is baaaaack….with more crazy, hateful, bigoted legislation. This time, it’s HB77 on “sex …

Democratic Roanoke Mayor David Bowers today issued a press release which suggests that those WWII-era Japanese internment camps were not only a good idea then, they might be the way to go now with Muslim refugees. Who he totally doesn’t want in his town. “Better safe than sorry.” Bowers: “I’m reminded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester …

“Thank you for your vote Tuesday. It was not enough to turn back President Barrack Obama and his giant coalition of unions, lobbies, money and the Washington Media. I will write more later. I have to go to a board meeting today. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and your families for 16 years. Sheila, my wife, and …

“She had so much potential, and, you know, it’s senseless that her life and Adam’s life were taken by a crazy person with a gun. And, you know, if I have to be the John Walsh of gun control and — look, I’m for the Second Amendment, but there has to be a way to force politicians that are cowards …

The former Virginia television reporter who this morning murdered two ex-colleagues in a horrifying on-air shooting has died of his self-inflicted gunshot wound. In a manifesto faxed to ABC News, he blamed a racist, anti-gay work environment for the murders. In the 23-page document faxed to ABC News, the writer says “MY NAME IS BRYCE WILLIAMS” and his legal name …

Roanoke’s CBS affiliate reports on this morning’s on-air murder of two of their staffers: Two WDBJ7 employees were killed Wednesday morning in an attack at Bridgewater Plaza. This happened during a live broadcast around 6:45 a.m. Police are looking for a suspect who apparently opened fire on WDBJ7 photographer Adam Ward and WDBJ7 reporter Alison Parker. Adam was 27-years-old. Alison …