Virginia
Former Log Cabin Republicans executive director named to Va. LGBTQ+ Advisory Board
R. Clarke Cooper ‘proud to accept’ Youngkin’s appointment
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has named former Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper to the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.
“Proud to accept appointment from Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board,” wrote Cooper in a post on his LinkedIn page. “Every citizen of the commonwealth has God given inalienable rights, envoys individual liberty and is charged with individual responsibility.”
“May Virginians judge our neighbors on the content of their character, not by their sexual orientation,” he added.
Youngkin announced Cooper’s appointment on March 10.
Cooper, an Army Reserve officer who served in the Iraq War, as Log Cabin Republicans’ executive director from 2010-2012.
He was Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from 2019-2021. Cooper is currently a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Virginia
Glenn Youngkin signs bill that codifies marriage equality in Va. law
Same-sex couples have been able to marry in state since 2014
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday signed a bill that codifies marriage rights for same-sex couples in state law.
House Bill 174, which state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County) introduced, is among the dozens of measures that Youngkin signed.
āTwo years into his term, Gov. Youngkin has shown leadership and inclusivity, and has finally listened to his constituents with his signing of HB 174,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman in a statement. “The bill passed through the General Assembly with support from both parties, at a time when more than 70 percent of Virginians support marriage equality.ā
Voters in 2006 approved an amendment to Virginiaās constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in the state since 2014.
The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the marriage amendment. It must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.
Democrats control both houses of the General Assembly.
A Virginia Senate committee in January delayed consideration of state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)’s resolution that would repeal the marriage amendment.
Virginia
Va. lieutenant governor misgenders Danica Roem
Manassas Democrat is first trans person elected to state Senate
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears on Monday misgendered state Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) on the Virginia Senate floor.
WVTF Richmond Bureau Chief Brad Kutner in an X post said Earle-Sears, who is a Republican, referred to Roem, who is a transgender woman, as “sir” during a debate on House Bill 964, which would allow attorneys to serve as the executive director of the Virginia Board of Medicine.Ā
Kutner said the Senate went “recess twice after reportedly ‘Sears refused to apologize.'”
“I’m not here to upset anyone, I’m here to do the job the people of Virginia have called me to do,” Earle-Sears later said, according to Kutner.
NEW: hearing @WinsomeSears referred to @pwcdanica on the @VASenate floor as "sir."
Chamber has gone into recess twice after reportedly "Sears refused to apologize."
"I'm not here to upset anyone, I'm here to do the job the ppl of VA have called me to do." #VALeg pic.twitter.com/IyO8JaAQIG
— BK (@BradKutner) February 26, 2024
Roem in 2018 became the first trans person seated in a state legislature in the country when she assumed her seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Voters in the 30th Senate District last November elected her to the Senate. Roem is the first trans person seated in the chamber.
The Washington Blade on Monday reached out to Roem, but she declined comment.
Virginia
Va. marriage equality affirmation bills receive final approval
Measures now go to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk
Virginia lawmakers this week approved two bills that would affirm marriage equality in the state.
The Virginia House of Delegates approved state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)’s Senate Bill 101 by a 58-42 vote margin. The Virginia Senate passed state Del. Rozia Henson (D-Prince William County)’s House Bill 174 by a 22-17 vote margin.
Both bills now go to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
āVirginians across the political spectrum have taken heart to see these bills receive bipartisan support in the General Assembly,ā said Ebbin, a gay Democrat, in a press release. āI hope Gov. Youngkin will sign this critical legislation to create state-level protections for all Virginians regardless of who they love.ā
Voters in 2006 approved an amendment to Virginiaās constitution that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in the state since 2014.
The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the marriage amendment. It must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.
āSenator Ebbin and I introduced this legislation to codify marriage equality in Virginiaās Code so that all marriages are protected under Virginia law beginning July 1, 2024,ā said Henson, who is also gay. “Codifying marriage equality will assuage concerns from the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) reversal on abortion rights by the Supreme Court and Justice Thomasā comments in his concurrence.ā
-
Commentary4 days ago
Sexting with younger guy has me asking: How queer am I?
-
Commentary5 days ago
What will you do to make Pride safe this year?
-
Africa3 days ago
Burundi’s president reiterates LGBTQ people should be stoned in a stadium
-
Texas4 days ago
Pornhub blocks Texas accessing site over age verification law