LGBTs Fleeing Virginia
This makes me sad.
Edel Quinones lived in Virginia for 10 years, but early this year, he sold his Arlington townhouse to move to the District.
"It felt like I wasn't welcome anymore," he said.
Quinones and his partner of three years are joining a migration of gay people out of Virginia in the face of recent legislative action they perceive as hostile.
Twenty states have amended their constitution to ban same-sex marriage since 2004. Virginia state legislators passed a law two years ago that prohibits "civil unions, partnership contracts or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage." A proposed constitutional amendment, which will go to voters in November, excludes any "unmarried individuals" from "union, partnership or other legal status similar to marriage."
Many gay people in Virginia and some family-law attorneys say they worry that the state law and proposed amendment are more far-reaching than simple bans on gay marriage -- that the measures could threaten the legal viability of the contracts used by gay couples to share ownership of property and businesses.
A part of me totally understands where the fleeing gays are coming from - if Virginia is going to pass these Draconian anti-civil rights laws against us, why should we stick around? But then another part of me is like, if we leave, that's just giving the fundies exactly what they want. Also, there's another part of me going "OMG DON'T LEAVE ME" - I don't wanna be the last dyke in this horrid state all by myself. *cries*
For more coherant commentary on this, check out Shakespeare's Sister and Pam's posts.
Edel Quinones lived in Virginia for 10 years, but early this year, he sold his Arlington townhouse to move to the District.
"It felt like I wasn't welcome anymore," he said.
Quinones and his partner of three years are joining a migration of gay people out of Virginia in the face of recent legislative action they perceive as hostile.
Twenty states have amended their constitution to ban same-sex marriage since 2004. Virginia state legislators passed a law two years ago that prohibits "civil unions, partnership contracts or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage." A proposed constitutional amendment, which will go to voters in November, excludes any "unmarried individuals" from "union, partnership or other legal status similar to marriage."
Many gay people in Virginia and some family-law attorneys say they worry that the state law and proposed amendment are more far-reaching than simple bans on gay marriage -- that the measures could threaten the legal viability of the contracts used by gay couples to share ownership of property and businesses.
A part of me totally understands where the fleeing gays are coming from - if Virginia is going to pass these Draconian anti-civil rights laws against us, why should we stick around? But then another part of me is like, if we leave, that's just giving the fundies exactly what they want. Also, there's another part of me going "OMG DON'T LEAVE ME" - I don't wanna be the last dyke in this horrid state all by myself. *cries*
For more coherant commentary on this, check out Shakespeare's Sister and Pam's posts.