Aug 21, 2009  |  By: Chris Johnson  | COMMENTS     

Equality Virginia is stepping up its campaign to encourage state lawmakers to pass non-discrimination legislation benefiting LGBT Virginians.

Jon Blair, Equality Virginia’s CEO, said his organization is working to build support for such a bill “on every front.”

“We’re working with legislators and candidates, we’re working with the general public and we’re working with the press to continue this,” he said.

Equality Virginia’s plan to grow support for the bill includes collecting petition signatures across the state. Blair said about 5,000 Virginians have signed the petition in support of a non-discrimination bill. An alert from Equality Virginia last week says the organization’s goal is to collect 100,000 names.

Additionally, a number of cities and counties have passed or are considering resolutions in support of non-discrimination legislation. Alexandria joined a list of cities supporting a non-discrimination bill on June 23 when the city council unanimously backed the idea.

Blair said other municipalities backing the idea include Arlington and Blacksburg, and supportive votes are pending in four other localities.

Equality Virginia has been polling Virginians on the issue every year, Blair said, and each time, about 80 percent of responders say they support gay-inclusive non-discrimination legislation.

“It’s time [that] the General Assembly caught up, and we’re not stopping until they do,” he said.

A previously proposed state bill that would have protected against job bias on the basis of sexual orientation in the state and public workforces didn’t make it out of subcommittee. With the General Assembly’s current session complete, the soonest lawmakers could take up such legislation is next year.