SCOTUS Rulings: Re-Energized and Recommitted

We are celebrating with the LGBT community and their friends and family members today the decisions by the United States Supreme Court to strike the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and to dismiss the case on Proposition 8.

The rulings today on DOMA and Prop 8 are a major step forward for equality in the United States. DOMA has been nothing more than the federal government condoning discrimination against LGBT people. It is our hope that wiping discriminatory laws from our books will set an example for all to follow. Striking down DOMA is an example that is hopefully seen and felt, from the halls of Washington to the halls of every school building in America.

For Virginia, the rulings are bitter sweet. While it is true that gay and lesbian Virginians legally married outside the Commonwealth may now be recognized by the United States, their relationships continue to be relegated to second-class status at home in Virginia. This must change, and we are committed to working for that change. Today, we are re-energized and we recommit ourselves to the work of equality for all in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Changing the law in Virginia means having the right leaders in place to make that change. For those who value equality, the partisan divide is clear. This year, we will elect a new Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General. Who we elect will be critical to the progress we might make. The LGBT Democrats of Virginia plead with all Virginians to support and vote for Terry McAuliffe for Governor, Ralph Northam for Lt. Governor, and Mark Herring for Attorney General. All three of these candidates have committed themselves to equal rights for LGBT Virginians, and we need to make sure they are elected in November.