Republicans have blocked an effort to
legislatively legalize gay marriage in Virginia.
According to gay weekly the Washington
Blade, Virginia Delegate Mark Cole, a Republican from
Fredericksburg and the chair of the House Privileges and Elections
Committee, announced last week that his committee will put off until
next year hearing any so-called first reference constitutional
amendments.
Six delegates and three senators had
sponsored resolutions which sought to repeal the state's 2006
voter-approved Marshall-Newman amendment, which prohibits the state
from recognizing any union other than a heterosexual marriage.
“Virginia Republicans' refusal to
even consider same-sex marriage is backwards and proving increasingly
archaic,” Delegate Scott Surovell, one of the backers, said Monday.
“Marriage is about loving, committed couples who want to make a
lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other,
in good times and bad.”
“Virginians are ready to repeal the
Marshall-Newman amendment,” said Senator Adam Ebbin, the state's
first openly gay elected senator.
Backers were speaking out two days
after Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe was sworn into office and
signed an executive order that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender state employees from discrimination.
(Related: Virginia's
Terry McAuliffe issues transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination
order.)