The Warren County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-1 in favor of defunding the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal after some residents complained about certain books in the library.

“The library is a nonprofit overseen by a board of trustees, but it counts on the county for about 70 percent of its operating budget.” NBC Washington reported. “The board has been trying to gain more control over the library after some residents complained about certain books in the collection.”

The Winchester Star in 2023 reported a wide-array of books with queer themes have been targeted by those who wish to remove stories about LGBTQ families and people. They have sought to ban children who frequent the library, which is more than 200 years old, from reading them.

Some of the books targeted were “Over the Shop” by JonArno Lawson, “Pride Colors” by Robin Stevenson, “Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle” by Nina LaCour, “Plenty of Hugs” by Fran Manushkin, “I Love You Because I Love You,” by Muon Thi Van, and “Bathe the Cat” by Alice B. McGinty. 

“Samuels Public Library serves more than 41,000 people in the County of Warren.” according to the library’s website. “In the last fiscal year, the Library had more than 127,000 visitors, over 400,000 checkouts, and hosted 542 programs that saw 19,194 attendees.”

The Virginia General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session ended on Saturday with two LGBTQ rights bills awaiting Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature.

The first bill would amend the state’s definition of marriage to include members of the LGBTQ community. SJ 249, also known as the Constitutional Amendment; Marriage between Two Adult Persons, would change the state’s definition of marriage to “between two adult persons” rather than “a union between one man and one woman.”

This amendment would repeal the definition of marriage in Virginia, updating it to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which extended marriage rights to same-sex couples across the country. This amendment would also enshrine marriage rights for same-sex couples in Virginia, ensuring that only another constitutional amendment or law that a majority of state lawmakers approve, can change it again.

Same-sex couples would have the same legal rights — tax breaks, inheritance rights, and Social Security benefits — in Virginia, even if Obergefell were to be overturned federally.  

For the amendment to take effect, it would need to pass the legislature again in 2026, then go to a referendum.

The second LGBTQ rights bill the General Assembly approved would amend the Virginia Human Rights Act.

Employees under the law, as it currently stands, do have protections against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on special protected categories that include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability to businesses with 15 or more employees, allowing complaints of violations to be reported to and investigated the state, copying the federal law.

Senate Bill 1052, also known as the Virginia Human Rights Act; Definition of ‘Employer,’ would eliminate what some have called a “small business exception” in existing law. The measure would extend human rights protections to employees of businesses with as few as five workers, ensuring they are covered under the Virginia Human Rights Act. It would also grant small business employees the right to file complaints against their employers for potential human rights violations, holding businesses legally accountable for any misconduct.

Youngkin has until March 24 to amend these bills. The governor cannot act on the proposed constitutional amendment.

Days after releasing a statement regarding the organization’s response to the gender-affirming care ban for minors put in place by the Trump administration, Equality Virginia, along with more than 30 advocacy organizations in the area, including ACLU of Virginia and Grassroots Community Care, signed an open letter on Feb. 13 to Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, and Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughter Health, demanding that they resume gender-affirming care for transgender youth immediately.

“We, the undersigned, write to express our unequivocal opposition to VCU Health, UVA Health and Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughter’s recent decision to suspend and restrict access to lifesaving, evidence-based gender-affirming care for young people and their families across the Commonwealth.” said the letter. “It is imperative that Virginia’s institutions…do not prematurely comply with policies that lack the force of law, particularly when doing so causes demonstrable harm to vulnerable young people. Health care decisions must be based on medical evidence, ethical obligations, and existing legal protections—not political pressure.”

The letter acknowledges Virginia law that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and expression in health care settings and Title IX, which protects marginalized groups from being discriminated against for their gender identity by educational institutions that receive federal funding.

Hours later that same day, Maryland District Judge Brendan Hurson signed an order that temporarily blocks Trump’s executive order banning gender-affirming care for youth. The order used similar verbiage in the open letter, specifically the reference to Title IX and gender-based discrimination. As of Feb. 15 the order will be in effect for 12 more days.