Two Virginia Democrats on Monday
introduced legislation that seeks to repeal the state's ban on gay
marriage.
Voters in 2006 approved the
Marshall-Newman Amendment, which prohibits the state from recognizing
any union other than a heterosexual marriage.
According to gay weekly the
Washington
Blade, Senator Adam Ebbin and Delegate Joseph Morrissey have
introduced in their respective legislative chambers complimentary
bills which would repeal the amendment.
Before reaching the ballot box in 2016,
lawmakers must approve the resolution during two consecutive
legislative sessions.
“Change is coming across the country
and eventually we'll have marriage equality in Virginia,” Ebbin,
who is gay, told the paper. “The road to marriage equality in
Virginia might not be a short one, but we've got to make sure we're
on our way.”
Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe, a
Democrat, has endorsed same-sex marriage, though his signature is not
needed for the question to reach the voters.
A federal lawsuit challenging the
state's marriage ban was filed in federal court over the summer. Ted
Olson and David Boies, the legal team behind the legal challenge to
California's Proposition 8, joined the case in September.