A Virginia House of Delegates subcomittee last week tabled a resolution that sought to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

The House Amendments and Other Matters Subcommittee on Feb. 17 voted 4-1 to table state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)’s resolution. 

The Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate earlier this month approved the resolution. Republicans have a 51-47 seat majority in the House of Delegates.

Virginia voters in 2016 approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014.

The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment. It must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.

The Senate last month approved Ebbin’s Senate Bill 1096 that would affirm marriage equality in Virginia law.

The Virginia Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would affirm marriage equality in state law.

State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)’s Senate Bill 1096 passed by a 25-12 vote margin. 

“My bill ensuring that Virginians have the right to marry who they love regardless of their sex, has passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote,” tweeted the openly gay Alexandria Democrat.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia also noted SB 1096 passed with bipartisan support.

“Virginia is for all lovers,” tweeted the ACLU of Virginia. “Our law should reflect our values.”

🌈TODAY: The VA Senate passed Sen. @AdamEbbin‘s SB1096 to affirm marriage equality WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

Virginia is for ALL lovers. Our law should reflect our values. https://t.co/z7wvJ5okyq

— ACLU of Virginia (@ACLUVA) January 24, 2023

Ebbin has also reintroduced a resolution to begin the process of repealing a Virginia constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The resolution is currently before a Senate subcommittee.

SB 1096 now goes to the Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates.

The Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday approved a religious freedom bill that critics say would allow anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the state.

House Bill 753, which state Del. Les Adams (R-Pittsylvania County) introduced, passed by a 54-45 vote margin.

“The bill exempts any place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society from the nondiscrimination in public places of accommodation provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act,” reads the bill. “Under current law, such places of accommodation are exempt only when not open to the public.”

“The bill also removes the provision of the exemption for religious organizations under the Virginia Fair Housing Law that denies such exemption where the membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status or disability,” adds HB 753.

Human Rights Campaign State Legislative Director Cathryn Oakley in a statement criticized HB 753’s passage.

“Anti-equality legislators in Virginia have repeatedly pushed legislation this session that would allow discrimination including against LGBTQ+ individuals,” said Oakley. “These repeated efforts have been especially prevalent in the House of Delegates, which has a slim anti-equality majority following last year’s election.  The latest example is HB 753, which would allow religion-based discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics.”

Republicans last November regained control of the House. Democrats maintain a 21-19 majority in the Virginia Senate.

Senate Democrats have vowed to block any anti-LGBTQ bill that comes before them.