Blog Topic #5

I found an article about Virginia's legislature, specifically, their House of Delegates, approving a bill that would protect people who disapprove of same-sex marriage. This would allow, if they were say restaurant owners, to refuse service to a couple and not be punished for it.

Now this did not pass in the House of Delegates with an overwhelming majority, several Republicans in the House paired with Democrats, so the total votes lined up as 53 in favor to 46 against. Given that the governor of Virginia is a Democrat, this bill will likely be vetoed. But the fact that it is in play and can get through a chamber in a bicameral legislature hones in on the fact that the fight for same-sex marriage isn't completely over. The federal government and many states have affirmed it, but other states are still fighting against it.

What I found very interesting about the article is part of the argument against the bill employed by the Democrats of the House: "House Democrats urged their colleagues to vote down the bill, saying the measure would give taxpayer-funded groups a broad license to discriminate and hurt Virginia's reputation nationwide." This seems big to me, this acknowledgement of not wanting to go backward, it does hearken back to a Jim Crow South, and not wanting to make those mistakes again just against a different group. I just find it a rather enlightening viewpoint.

I posted a link to the article below, in case anyone is interested.

http://www.loudountimes.com/news/article/house_oks_bill_seeking_to_protect_same_sex_marriage_foes432