A bill that seeks to repeal Virginia's
statutory ban on same-sex marriage cleared the House of Delegates on
Tuesday.
According to the Washington
Blade, the bill, House Bill 1490, passed the House
with a 63-34 vote.
While unenforceable since a 2014
ruling, same-sex marriage has been prohibited by statute in Virginia
since 1975. In 2006, voters approved a constitutional amendment that
defines marriage as a heterosexual union. The Supreme Court in 2015
ruled that gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to
marry, effectively striking down such bans nationwide.
A companion bill cleared the Senate
earlier this month.
The proposed legislation is among at
least five LGBT rights bills introduced after Democrats regained
control of the House and Senate for the first time since 1996.
(Related: Virginia
House advances LGBT protections bill.)