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By: JOE CREA COMMENTS
 
RICHMOND | Nearly half of Virginia’s General
Assembly, along with politicians including the governor and attorney general,
have signed pledges or made policy statements affirming that they will not
discriminate in their
legislative offices on the basis of sexual orientation.
In a collaborative effort, Equality Virginia, Log Cabin Republican Club of
Virginia and the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club, issued the
non-discrimination pledges to all 140 General Assembly members — 40 Senators
and 100 House members — as well as to members of the executive branch.
Gov. Mark Warner (D), Lt. Governor Tim Kaine (D) and Attorney General Jerry
Kilgore (R) signed the pledges or issued policy statements opposing anti-gay
discrimination.
Additionally, 14 Democrats and six Republicans in the Senate and 20 Republicans
and 23 Democrats in the General Assembly signed the pledge stating that they
will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Presently, neither
federal nor Virginia state law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation.
“We were trying to get a good baseline going by contacting these politicians,” said
Dyana Mason, executive director of Equality Virginia. “Many conservative Republicans
and Democrats signed the pledge and these are folks who we have not had much
of a relationship with in the past. We hope that this effort will open up a
dialogue with some of these folks.”
David Lampo, president of the Log Cabin Republican Club of Virginia said he
was pleased that a high number of Republicans agreed to sign the pledge — especially
those in leadership positions — and said that it is an example of a change
in Virginia’s political climate.
“Our state is certainly more culturally conservative than other states,” Lampo
said. “We always knew that but even in Virginia, 21st century values are starting
to work their way down to the grass roots. If you see greater acceptance of
gays and lesbians in the culture, it will become more routine to live and work
with gays and lesbians. We are just a much more inclusive society than we were
10 years ago.”
Lampo said he was very pleased that Attorney General Kilgore’s office issued
a statement saying that his office does not discriminate. Gay men and lesbians
have criticized Kilgore in the past, claiming he is anti-gay.
“It’s certainly nice to see that now, employment non-discrimination is a bad
thing and we hope that [Kilgore] will use this opportunity to be more outspoken
about employment discrimination in the government,” said Josh Israel, president
of the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club. “And we hope in the
future that he would allow localities to decide themselves not to discriminate
as he didn’t when he issued his advisory opinion in Fairfax. But we do welcome
him to the right side on this issue.”
Israel said political leaders in Virginia are realizing that discrimination
does not play well with the average voter.
“The vast majority of Virginians do not support discrimination in employment,” Israel
said.
(as of October 2003)
3 Thomas Norment R
5 Yvonne Miller D
7 Frank Wagner R
9 Benjamin Lambert D
10 John Watkins R
11 Stephen Martin R
16 Henry Marsh III D
17 Edd Houck D
18 Louise Lucas D
20 Roscoe Reynolds D
21 John Edwards D
25 Creigh Deeds D
27 Russell Potts R
28 John Chichester R (Senate president pro tempore; finance chair)
30 Patricia Ticer D
31 Mary Margaret Whipple D (Senate Dem. caucus chair)
32 Janet Howell D
34 Leslie Byrne D
35 Richard Saslaw D (Senate Dem. leader)
36 Toddy Puller D
Total: 20 (14 Dems, 6 GOP)
8 Morgan Griffith R (House majority leader)
10 Ward Armstrong D
11 Clifton Woodrum D
12 Jim Shuler D
14 Danny Marshall R
15 Allen Louderback R
17 A. Victor Thomas D
23 Preston Bryant R
26 Glenn Weatherholtz R
34 Vince Callahan R (appropriations chair)
35 Jeannemarie Devolites R (majority whip)
36 Kenneth Plum D
37 JC Petersen D
38 Bob Hull D
39 Vivian Watts D
41 Jim Dillard R (education chair)
42 David Albo R
43 Tom Bolvin R
44 Kristen Amundsen D
45 Marian Van Landingham D
46 Brian Moran D (House Dem. caucus chair) ...
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