Connect with us

Virginia

Youngkin: Marriage equality is ‘the law’ in Va.

Republican governor appeared on CBS’ ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday

Published

on

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Sunday said marriage equality is “the law” in his state.

“We actually do protect same-sex marriage in Virginia,” said Youngkin during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”“That’s the law in Virginia and therefore as governor as Virginia, we protect same-sex marriage.”

Youngkin appeared on “Face the Nation” less than three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.

Justice Clarence Thomas in the decision said the Supreme Court should also reconsider the decisions in the Obergefell and Lawrence cases that extended marriage equality to same-sex couples and the right to private, consensual sex.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014, but a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman remains in place. The Republican-led House of Delegates Privileges and Elections Subcommittee earlier this yearĀ rejected a resolution that sought to repeal it.

“I believe what the Supreme Court has done most recently is so consistent with what we know the constitution stands for, which is returning the rights to states to make these decisions like Roe v. Wade, protecting, in fact, the right of lawmakers to make law, not an Executive Branch to pass rules and regulations that overstep boundaries,” said Youngkin when “Face the Nation” host Robert Costa asked whether he would seek to codify marriage equality into Virginia law.

Republicans currently control the House of Delegates, but Democrats maintain a 21-19 majority in the state Senate.

“In 2026* we will put abortion rights and LGBT rights into Virginia’s constitution so no politician can ever play this game again,” tweeted state Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) on Sunday after Youngkin’s “Meet the Press” appearance. “Until then I will stand guard for the next 1,288 days until we have a better governor.”

Lucas is the Virginia Senate’s president pro tempore.

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Virginia

Va. Senate committee tables three anti-transgender bills

Measures targeted trans student athletes, gender-affirming care for minors

Published

on

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Virginia lawmakers this week killed three anti-transgender bills.

The Virginia Senate Health and Education Committee on Thursday tabled Senate Bill 749, which would have banned trans athletes from school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. The same committee on Thursday tabled a similar measure, Senate Bill 1079.

The committee on Thursday also tabled Senate Bill 1074, which would have made it “unlawful for any individual to provide gender transition procedures, defined in the bill, for minors and prohibits the use of public funds for gender transition procedures.”

“All students deserve to play and to have access to essential healthcare,” said the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia on Thursday in a social media post.

Continue Reading

Virginia

Va. Senate approves resolution to repeal marriage amendment

Two successive legislatures must approve proposal before it goes to voters

Published

on

(Bigstock photo)

The Virginia Senate on Tuesday approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

The resolution that state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced passed by a 24-15 vote margin. An identical measure that state Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County) has proposed passed in the Virginia House of Delegates last week.

Sickles and Ebbin are both gay.

Voters approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2006.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin last year signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.

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.

Continue Reading

Virginia

Arlington man arrested for arson at Freddie’s Beach Bar

Suspect charged with setting fires at two other nearby restaurants

Published

on

Timothy Clark Pollock (Photo courtesy of the Arlington County Fire Department)

The Arlington County Fire Department announced on Jan. 16 that an Arlington man has been arrested on three counts of arson for at least three fires set at restaurants on the same block on South 23rd Street, including Freddieā€™s Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is a gay establishment.

A statement released by the fire department says a warrant for the arrest of Timothy Clark Pollock was issued on Jan. 15 and that Clark was apprehended by Alexandria police on Jan. 16 at approximately 6:54 a.m. It says he was transferred into the custody of fire marshals and the Arlington Police Department.

Fire department officials have said the fires that Pollock allegedly set took place between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, on the 500 block of South 23rd Street in the Crystal City section of Arlington.

Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddieā€™s, said the front door of his establishment was set on fire with what appeared to be a flammable liquid such as lighter fluid. The door was partially blackened by the fire, but the restaurant itself did not catch fire, Lutz said.

Fire department officials said the other two nearby establishments hit by small fires around that same time were the Crystal City Sports Pub and McNamaraā€™s Pub and Restaurant.

Lutz told the Washington Blade that the fire at Freddieā€™s took place the day before and the day after Freddieā€™s received a threatening phone call from what sounded like the same unidentified male caller.

ā€œHe said Iā€™m going to fuck you up and Iā€™m going to fuck the women up,ā€ Lutz said the person told Freddieā€™s manager, who answered the two calls.

Lutz speculated that the caller could have been the same person who started the fire at Freddieā€™s and possibly the other two restaurants.

The short statement by the Arlington County Fire Department announcing the arrest did not say whether fire and police investigators have determined a possible motive for the fires. The statement says Pollock was being held without bond and that he is ā€œalso facing additional charges for unrelated crimes, which remain under investigation.ā€

The online Arlington news publication ARLNow reports that a Facebook account associated with Timothy C. Pollock includes a photo from inside Freddieā€™s posted on Facebook on Dec. 21.

Lutz confirmed for the Blade the photo is clearly one that was taken inside Freddieā€™s showing Christmas decorations, leading Lutz to believe that Pollock has been inside Freddieā€™s at least once if not more than once.

Photos of Timothy C. Pollock on that personā€™s Facebook page appear to be the same Pollock as that captured in the mug shot photo of Pollock released by the Arlington County Fire Department on Jan. 16.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular