Equality Virginia to Name the Northams “Legends”
Virginia lieutenant governor and wife, Hampton Roads Pride to be honored at gala celebration
Equality Virginia, the commonwealth’s top LGBT rights organization, will honor Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and his wife, Pam, with the 2014 Legend Award at its annual Legends Gala, which celebrates individuals and organizations that help advance LGBT equality.
This year’s event will celebrate the start of marriage equality in the commonwealth. Same-sex couples were allowed to marry in October after the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed a lower court decision, which ruled the Marshall-Newman Amendment to Virginia’s state constitution was unconstitutional, to stand.
Northam was elected statewide in 2013 after serving six years in the Virginia Senate, where he amassed a pro-LGBT voting record, earning 100 percent ratings from Equality Virginia in 2012 and 2013. During his statewide campaign, Northam, along with his fellow members of the state’s Democratic ticket, was a vocal proponent of marriage equality, in contrast with his opponent, E.W. Jackson, who became infamous for making comments that many perceived to be anti-gay. Since being elected, he has also been an advocate for a workplace nondiscrimination bill, which has failed to gain traction in the Republican-dominated General Assembly.
“As we celebrate the freedom to marry – and LGBT Virginians continue to share their stories and change hearts and minds about fairness and equality, it’s meaningful to have great allies like Lt. Governor Ralph Northam and Mrs. Pam Northam standing with us as we advocate for change,” James Parrish, Equality Virginia’s executive director, said in a statement.
“Pam and I are honored by this recognition alongside our friends from Hampton Roads Pride,” Northam said in a statement. “Virginia is making great stride towards being a welcoming place for all, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. We look forward to continuing to be a part of this important work.”
Equality Virginia will also honor Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer organization that seeks to empower LGBT people and their allies, with its Community Legend Award.
“Hampton Roads Pride has successfully put the issue of LGBT equality and fairness front and center in Hampton Roads,” Parrish said. “PrideFest, now on the waterfront, is a marquee event for the whole community and has been instrumental in gaining many new equality supporters and advocates.”
Laurel Quarberg, the president of Hampton Roads Pride, expressed gratitude for the award on behalf of her organization.
“This has been a very exciting year for Virginia’s LGBT community and its allies,” Quarberg said. “Equality Virginia has made it even more so for our members, sponsors, volunteers and Board of Directors by naming Hampton Roads Pride a Legend for 2014. We are thrilled and grateful.”
The ninth annual Legends Gala will take place on Nov. 8 at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront hotel. Tickets to the reception costs $50, and VIP tickets cost $175. Both can be purchased online at equalityvirginia.org.
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