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 fundamentalist church in Indianapolis is defending a June 29 sermon in which a lay preacher urged congregants to pray for LGBTQ people to die and suggested they kill themselves.
The remarks, delivered by Stephen Falco during a “Men’s Preaching Night” at Sure Foundation Baptist Church, included multiple homophobic slurs, biblical references, and rants against Pride Month, LGBTQ rights, and what he called “disgusting” and “evil” behavior, according to TheIndianapolis Star.
"Why do I hate sodomites, why do I hate f****ts? Because they attack children," Falco ranted in the sermon, video of which was posted to Sure Foundation Baptist Church's YouTube channel. "They're coming after your children, they are attacking them in schools today, and not only schools, in public places, and they're proud about it!
Police in Bogor, Indonesia, say they arrested 75 people for attending what they called a "gay party" at a villa in the Puncak area on June 22.
According to Amnesty International, 74 of those arrested were men and one was a woman.
Teguh Kumura, head of the Bogor Police's Criminal Investigation Unit, told the Jakarta Globe that a joint task force of Bogor and Megamendung police raided the villa after receiving public reports of “suspicious activity” at the gathering.
If it's Pride Month, it must be time for another conservative boycott -- and this time, the target is Kroger, the grocery superstore chain, under fire for its LGBTQ-inclusive policies and Pride-themed merchandise.
One Million Moms, an offshoot of the anti-LGBTQ American Family Association, regularly campaigns against so-called "indecency" in TV, music, and film -- including violence, profanity, and anything with sexual content. It also froths at the mouth over any positive depictions of LGBTQ people or same-sex couples in media.
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