Via Shutterstock
As same-sex marriage supporters across the country celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act and decline to rule on Proposition 8, essentially clearing the path for California’s gay couples to resume marrying, it’s worth remembering that while their neighbors in D.C. and Maryland can, gay Virginians are still unable to wed.
In 2006, 57 percent of Virginia voters ratified a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. But the ban could possibly be overturned if Governor Bob McDonnell is replaced by a Democrat, as opposed to his attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli.
Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic Party’s nominee in this year’s gubernatorial election, praised the Supreme Court’s decision in a cautious statement: “While I support marriage equality, I understand that this is an issue that Virginians of goodwill come down on both sides of. This decision moves our nation in the right direction, but there is more to be done to ensure we have equality for all.
“My opponent has spent his career putting up walls around Virginia and telling gay Virginians that they’re not welcome,” he continued. “He even went so far as to order public colleges and universities to remove protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation for faculty and students. We must make Virginia the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family, and there is no place in our future for intolerance or discriminatory rhetoric.”
McAuliffe previously told reporters repealing the ban wouldn’t be one of his legislative priorities.
His running mate, Ralph Northam, went a step further in his own statement, saying he is “running to put a stop to the divisive agenda that has been a roadblock to progress here in Virginia.” He added that he “will work to further the cause of equality because discrimination has no place in our Commonwealth.”
Cuccinelli, McAuliffe’s opponent, hasn’t made a statement about today’s rulings. But he said in an amicus brief about the two cases that same-sex marriage could lead to polygamy.
He also filed a petition Tuesday asking the Supreme Court to defend Virginia’s anti-sodomy law, which was struck down by a federal appeals court in March.
Cuccinelli’s running mate, E.W. Jackson, previously called gay people “very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally,” so it’s pretty clear where he stands.
The District of Columbia has allowed same-sex marriage since 2009, while it has been legal in Maryland since January of this year.