Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn speaks in favor of the Virginia Values Act – Photo: Equality Virginia
A Virginia House of Delegates committee has approved a version of the Virginia Values Act, a comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill, with bipartisan support.
The bill updates the commonwealth’s human rights laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity — as well as other characteristics in public employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations. It would also ban discrimination by private employers with six or more employees.
The House General Laws Committee approved the act, sponsored by Mark Sickles (D-Franconia) by a 16-6 vote, with all Democrats and three Republicans representing rural areas — Delegates Barry Knight (R-Virginia Beach), Will Morefield (R-North Tazewell) and William Wampler III (R-Abingdon) — voting in favor of it.
Notably, Wampler had previously voted against the bill when it passed in a subcommittee by a 5-1 vote.
The committee also approved a similar nondiscrimination bill, sponsored by Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria), by an identical vote of 16-6.
That second bill explicitly adds protections for LGBTQ people in public contracting, apprenticeship programs, banking, and insurance, in addition to employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The Virginia Values Act, which has the support of Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax Station) now heads to the Committee on Appropriations.
If it passes there, it will head to the full House for consideration, where it is expected to pass with the support of most Democrats, who hold a 55-45 edge in the lower chamber.
A Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), is scheduled for a committee vote on Wednesday.
“We are encouraged by the Virginia Values Act’s progress in the General Assembly,” James Parrish, the director of the Virginia Values Coalition, said in a statement. “These nondiscrimination protections are critical to ensuring that LGBTQ people have the freedom to go about their daily lives with safety, privacy, and dignity.”
“We are witnessing a wave of positive progress as LGBTQ-friendly legislation moves through the General Assembly,” Vee Lamneck, the executive director of Equality Virginia, added. “There is widespread, bipartisan support for the Virginia Values Act. We’re confident lawmakers will quickly pass this legislation to protect LGBTQ Virginians.”
A year ago, the National LGBTQ Task Force was girding to "hold the line," in a sense. Donald J. Trump had just won the presidential election with a plurality -- 49.8% -- of the popular vote, setting the stage for a January inauguration that would install an administration expected to be oppressively hostile to the country's LGBTQ community, particularly the Transgender community, as well as efforts promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The sweeping scope of that hostility, from discharging all Trans service members from the U.S. military to the pettiness of erasing rainbow crosswalks, transpired at breakneck speed.
Russia's federal media regulator has blocked access to the U.S.-based children's gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of violating the country's ban on distributing so-called "LGBT propaganda."
The platform allows users to create their own games or play games made by others, drawing millions of young players worldwide.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, announced the ban on December 3, telling Reuters the platform is "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."
History was made in Pennsylvania several weeks ago, when Erica Deuso became not only her town's first transgender elected official, but the first transgender mayor to be elected in Pennsylvania history.
Deuso's identity -- and the historic nature of her candidacy -- were not the focus of her campaign for mayor of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Instead, the 45-year-old focused on kitchen-table issues and the nuts and bolts of governing a small city in an exurban county outside Philadelphia.
"After I won my primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer did a story about it, noting, 'This person could be the first trans mayor in Pennsylvania.' But that's not what I was running on," says Deuso. "Everybody I met was really focused on what was in it for their families. What was I going to do about flooding? What am I going to do about public safety? And I kid you not, the first person who approached me, after I found out that I won, was talking to me about a speed bump in their neighborhood."
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