Dear Virginia, you make me fucking sick
I swear to fucking GOD, as soon as it's possible, we're out of here.
I'm moving back north due to this shit. Hell, maybe I'll move to Europe.
Marriage amendment passes
BY PAMELA STALLSMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 8, 2006
Virginia voters yesterday easily passed an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The outcome is a victory for social conservatives who have aggressively pushed the measure.
The proposal, which will be added to the Bill of Rights of the Virginia Constitution, outlaws same-sex marriage and civil unions, as well as domestic partnerships and any relationship between unmarried couples that approximates marriage.
The amendment will become law on Jan. 1.
Early returns showed the amendment passing in nine of the state's 11 congressional districts; it was rejected in the 8th and 11th districts, which include the state's most liberal areas of Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church and Alexandria. Other cities that rejected the amendment include Fredericksburg, Norfolk, Petersburg and Williamsburg.
"We're obviously excited and optimistic based on early returns," said Victoria Cobb, executive director of the Family Foundation of Virginia, a primary group behind va4marriage.org, which led the fight for the amendment.
"In spite of an incredibly difficult political environment, a Senate race that was closer than expected, a well-funded opposition, and a media that largely ignored the question on the ballot, the measure still appears to be passing," she said.
"When tonight is over, we will be able to say that Virginians have once and for all rejected the idea of redefining marriage."
Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, campaign manager of The Commonwealth Coalition, which led the fight against the amendment, told a gathering last night at Chez Foushee restaurant that the gay-rights movement still had made progress.
"No matter how you look at this, there are so many . . . points of victory," she said. The outcome was the beginning of the process for gay equality, not the end, she declared.
Oh really? Please, explain how that's true. Now not only are homosexual couples screwed out of any benefits, but so are unmarried couples! My b/f and I are just one example. Now we're going to have a harder time living together
Twenty states have passed similar proposals, with no state rejecting it. Margins of support during previous elections ranged from 57 percent in Oregon to 86 percent in Mississippi. Virginia was among eight states voting on such a proposal yesterday.
State law already bans same-sex marriage and civil unions. However, supporters contended the amendment was needed to protect traditional marriage from so-called "activist judges" who could potentially throw out state statues.
Opponents argued that was nonsense, and that Virginia's tradition-bound judiciary -- appointed by the General Assembly would not move to change Virginia's decades-old ban against same-sex marriage.
Foes also said the three-sentence amendment was so broad that it could create unintended consequences and void or make vulnerable contracts between unmarried people, gay and straight alike.
The Senate candidates were split over the amendment. Republican U.S. Sen. George Allen backed the measure. Democrat Jim Webb opposed it, saying that while he views marriage as between a man and woman, he believed the amendment went too far. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine also held that view.
Allen was counting on votes from amendment supporters.
The amendment overwhelmingly cleared the General Assembly the past two sessions, with opposition coming mainly from Democratic lawmakers Northern Virginia, the state's most liberal area.
Last month, three Richmond-area House Democrats -- including a Baptist minister -- announced they would change their positions and vote against the amendment.
House Minority Leader Franklin P. Hall of Richmond; Del. Dwight Clinton Jones, pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus; and Del. A. Donald McEachin of Henrico County said the proposal went too far.
Va4marriage.org, the group leading the effort to pass the amendment, waged a grass-roots campaign that focused on reaching out to churches across the state. "Marriage Protection Sunday" took place two days before yesterday's election and had pastors at thousands of churches across the state urging members to vote for the amendment.
The group raised more than $257,000, according to state Board of Election reports.
The Virginia Catholic Conference spent about $25,000 sending a pastoral letter from the state's two bishops to their 650,000 parishioners, urging support of the amendment, calling the issue one of "profound significance for the future of the family, the most fundamental structure of our society."
One of the biggest backers of The Commonwealth Coalition was Equality Virginia, the state's largest gay-rights group. The Commonwealth Coalition brought in more than $1 million.
Contact staff writer Pamela Stallsmith at pstallsmith@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6746.
Staff writer Calvin R. Trice contributed to this report.
I'm moving back north due to this shit. Hell, maybe I'll move to Europe.
Marriage amendment passes
BY PAMELA STALLSMITH
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Nov 8, 2006
Virginia voters yesterday easily passed an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The outcome is a victory for social conservatives who have aggressively pushed the measure.
The proposal, which will be added to the Bill of Rights of the Virginia Constitution, outlaws same-sex marriage and civil unions, as well as domestic partnerships and any relationship between unmarried couples that approximates marriage.
The amendment will become law on Jan. 1.
Early returns showed the amendment passing in nine of the state's 11 congressional districts; it was rejected in the 8th and 11th districts, which include the state's most liberal areas of Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church and Alexandria. Other cities that rejected the amendment include Fredericksburg, Norfolk, Petersburg and Williamsburg.
"We're obviously excited and optimistic based on early returns," said Victoria Cobb, executive director of the Family Foundation of Virginia, a primary group behind va4marriage.org, which led the fight for the amendment.
"In spite of an incredibly difficult political environment, a Senate race that was closer than expected, a well-funded opposition, and a media that largely ignored the question on the ballot, the measure still appears to be passing," she said.
"When tonight is over, we will be able to say that Virginians have once and for all rejected the idea of redefining marriage."
Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, campaign manager of The Commonwealth Coalition, which led the fight against the amendment, told a gathering last night at Chez Foushee restaurant that the gay-rights movement still had made progress.
"No matter how you look at this, there are so many . . . points of victory," she said. The outcome was the beginning of the process for gay equality, not the end, she declared.
Oh really? Please, explain how that's true. Now not only are homosexual couples screwed out of any benefits, but so are unmarried couples! My b/f and I are just one example. Now we're going to have a harder time living together
Twenty states have passed similar proposals, with no state rejecting it. Margins of support during previous elections ranged from 57 percent in Oregon to 86 percent in Mississippi. Virginia was among eight states voting on such a proposal yesterday.
State law already bans same-sex marriage and civil unions. However, supporters contended the amendment was needed to protect traditional marriage from so-called "activist judges" who could potentially throw out state statues.
Opponents argued that was nonsense, and that Virginia's tradition-bound judiciary -- appointed by the General Assembly would not move to change Virginia's decades-old ban against same-sex marriage.
Foes also said the three-sentence amendment was so broad that it could create unintended consequences and void or make vulnerable contracts between unmarried people, gay and straight alike.
The Senate candidates were split over the amendment. Republican U.S. Sen. George Allen backed the measure. Democrat Jim Webb opposed it, saying that while he views marriage as between a man and woman, he believed the amendment went too far. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine also held that view.
Allen was counting on votes from amendment supporters.
The amendment overwhelmingly cleared the General Assembly the past two sessions, with opposition coming mainly from Democratic lawmakers Northern Virginia, the state's most liberal area.
Last month, three Richmond-area House Democrats -- including a Baptist minister -- announced they would change their positions and vote against the amendment.
House Minority Leader Franklin P. Hall of Richmond; Del. Dwight Clinton Jones, pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus; and Del. A. Donald McEachin of Henrico County said the proposal went too far.
Va4marriage.org, the group leading the effort to pass the amendment, waged a grass-roots campaign that focused on reaching out to churches across the state. "Marriage Protection Sunday" took place two days before yesterday's election and had pastors at thousands of churches across the state urging members to vote for the amendment.
The group raised more than $257,000, according to state Board of Election reports.
The Virginia Catholic Conference spent about $25,000 sending a pastoral letter from the state's two bishops to their 650,000 parishioners, urging support of the amendment, calling the issue one of "profound significance for the future of the family, the most fundamental structure of our society."
One of the biggest backers of The Commonwealth Coalition was Equality Virginia, the state's largest gay-rights group. The Commonwealth Coalition brought in more than $1 million.
Contact staff writer Pamela Stallsmith at pstallsmith@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6746.
Staff writer Calvin R. Trice contributed to this report.