Not my state anymore

Posted on April 22, 2004 by Gene

Thom points out a horrifying setback that most of us had missed: the incredibly discriminatory and hate-filled “Marriage Affirmation Act” that’s been ratified here in my home, Virginia. This disgusting legislation not only prohibits same-sex marriage, it actually outlaws any marriage-like benefits!

In an outrageous and short-sighted defeat for fairness and common-sense, the General Assembly today ratified the so-called “Marriage Affirmation Act,” one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation to be considered by the General Assembly in decades.

By a vote of 69-30 in the House and 27-12 in the Senate, the General Assembly narrowly missed garnering a 1/3 vote in each house that would have killed the bill outright. Delegate Robert Marshall (R-Manassas), patron of the bill, led the charge with a barrage of anti-gay rhetoric during the floor debate.

… HB 751 not only prohibits the state from recognizing civil unions (which it already didn’t do), but strips private contractual rights between same-sex couples by outlawing any “partnership contract or other arrangements that purport to provide the benefits of marriage.”

This means that a gay couple can no longer create a legal framework through a power of attorney or, more astounding, health care — in Virginia, private companies are prohibited from giving health insurance benefits to same-sex partners.

I often ask myself why I continue to live here where I was born, in a state that hates me so much. I also ask that question on a national level as well. I can’t decide whether it would be better to leave my state or ultimately my country, or stay here and fight. The fight seems to be harder and harder every day.