Jan 09, 2009  |  By: CHRIS JOHNSON  | COMMENTS     

The board of directors for Virginia’s statewide gay rights group announced Wednesday it has chosen a straight man to serve as its executive director.

Jon Blair, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Equality Virginia, joins the organization after working as campaign manager for freshman U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in the 2008 election. Blair succeeds Dyana Mason, the former executive director for Equality Virginia, who left the organization Dec. 31.

Blair, who was unavailable for comment before Blade deadline, said in a statement, “I believe in Equality Virginia’s mission of basic human rights for all, and I am proud to fight for it.”

Blair’s experience includes work for Virginia State Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk) and State Del. Paula Miller (D-Norfolk).

Equality Virginia’s 10-member search committee recommended the selection of Blair unanimously, according to the statement. Jay Fisette, a gay member of the Arlington County Board and a member of the committee, said Blair’s “experience and talents will take Equality Virginia to the next level.”

Equality Virginia revealed its new executive director as lawmakers readied several pro-gay bills for the General Assembly’s next session, which begins Jan. 14.

Among the most notable developments was that a House Republican announced he would sponsor a bill that allows companies to provide life insurance to the partners of gay employees. Del. Tom Ru
(R-Fairfax) filed the bill Tuesday.

The bill “allows coverage under a group life insurance policy to be extended to insure any class of persons as may mutually be agreed upon by the insurer and the group policyholder.” Virginia law currently restricts supplemental life insurance coverage to legal spouses and dependent children under
age 19, or age 25 if the child is a full-time student.

Rust said he introduced the legislation because companies are “hurt in recruiting” by not being allowed to provide life insurance to partners of gay employees.

Rust told the Blade that the legislation would not make expanding life insurance benefits mandatory for Virginia companies and said a “business can decide to do it or not do it.”

The legislation is similar to a bill Virginia lawmakers approved in 2005 that allowed companies within the state to provide health insurance to the partners of their gay employees.

David Lampo, vice president of the Virginia Log Cabin Republicans, said he was not surprised that Rust filed the pro-gay legislation because Rust has “got a great record of votes on our issues.”

Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the General Assembly’s only openly gay member, last year introduced a similar bill that would have allowed companies to provide life insurance to the partners of gay employees, but the measure failed in subcommittee.

Rust said he’s “cautiously optimistic” the bill will pass this year even though previous versions of the legislation have failed.

Other pro-gay bills slated for new session

Rust’s legislation is one of several pro-gay bills that lawmakers will take up this year in Richmond.
Ebbin said he plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit discrimination against gay employees in the state and public workforce.

Equality Virginia identified the bill last year as its No. 1 priority for the upcoming session. A poll published last month by the group found that 90 percent of Virginians support the right of gays to work in the government.

Gov. Tim Kaine (D) issued an executive order in 2005 prohibiting discrimination in the state workforce on the basis of sexual orientation, but Ebbin said legislation is necessary in case a governor comes into office who is unsympathetic to gays.

“An executive order is not a guarantee for future administrations,” Ebbin said, “and I think particularly in Virginia, where we’ve had such a history of racial and other kinds of discrimination, that it needs to be clear that we don’t tolerate discrimination in state hiring.”

Other proposals included an effort by Del. David Englin (D-Alexandria) to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment in the state constitution, which prohibits same-sex marriage and civil unions in Virginia. Voters approved the amendment in 2006.

“Especially in light of Proposition 8 in California,” he said, “I think it’s important that those of us who believe in the notion that all people deserve the right to be treated equally continue to stand up and continue to fight for equal rights, even in states like Virginia where it’s an uphill battle.”

Englin said he also plans to introduce a bill that would ensure same-sex couples have equal treatment when applying for state social services and a bill that expands school anti-bullying laws Virginia approved in 2005. The measure would include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

Englin said the legislation would add harassment and intimidation to ...