20 years ago, Virginia enshrined a ban on same-sex marriage into the state’s constitution. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling nullified it. And this fall, Virginians will have the chance to remove it from the state’s founding document and replace it with an affirmative right for same-sex couples to marry.
June First is the start of LGBTQ Pride Month, so it was fitting for advocates of same-sex marriage to start their new campaign to roll back Virginians ban on the practice Monday.
“Every Virginia family deserves dignity, be protected equally under the law and to be free to build a future without government interference," said Democratic Delegate Kirk McPike of Alexandria, who was flanked by his husband at Monday’s event. McPike is co-chairing the Virginians for Marriage Equality campaign. "Virginia is for all lovers. Let's make sure our constitution reflects that.”
The votes to get the amendment before the voters did include support from a few Republican law makers. But those conservatives who opposed the amendment plan to push Virginians to vote against it. Lynchburg Senator Mark Peake, who said his faith teaches him marriage is between one man and one woman, is among them. He said his supporters would like to see all three amendments— including expanding felon voting and guaranteeing abortion access— fail this fall.
“I plan to campaign vigorously against all three of the proposed constitutional amendments," Peake, whose district includes the ultra-conservative Liberty University, told Radio IQ Monday. "Of course, the one they already passed was found to be unconstitutional. So, we’ve got one down and three to go.”
Peake was referencing the redistricting amendment the Supreme Court of Virginia struck last month. There are legal challenges to the abortion amendment, dealing with the language of the proposed referendum, as well.
Unless the state’s high court intervenes again, Virginians will vote on all three amendments this November.
