One of the first official acts of Virginia's newly-installed extreme anti-gay and fundamentalist Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell: Removing job protections for LGBT state employees. The executive order was signed February 5 and first reported last week by the Washington Post.
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has signed an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce on grounds that include race, sex, religion and age, but not sexual orientation. The order, which McDonnell (R) signed Feb. 5, cements federal law, which prohibits discrimination on those grounds. It also follows McDonnell's long-standing position on the issue of legal protections based on sexual orientation. McDonnell had criticized his two Democratic predecessors for including language about it in their similar executive orders, arguing they overstepped their executive authority by extending protections to gay employees not envisioned by the General Assembly. McDonnell is the first Virginia governor in more than 30 years not to sign an order on the issue of discrimination on the grounds covered by federal law as one of his first acts in office.
On February 8, the Virginia Senate passed a bill that would have protected state workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation. One day later, a subcommittee in the Republican-dominated House of Delegates killed that same bill.
Before serving as the Commonwealth's Attorney General where he opposed then-Gov. Tim Kaine's order protecting LGBT public employees, McDonnell served in the House of Delegates. While in the legislature, McDonnell sought to block the reappointment of a Newport News Circuit Judge because she was allegedly lesbian.
If this is indicative of what's to come in the next year (re: the return of the Republicans to office), then america is in big trouble. I suspect that folks wanted to send Obama a message in terms of his presidency thus far, but this just reeks of Americans (Virginians in particular) cutting off their noses to spite their faces. And this is why I tell my partner that I don't want to live in Virginia!
Posted by: Rodney M. | 18 February 2010 at 13:14
Of all the things this man needs to be concerned with--he made sure that THIS was his first act.
Hopefully his son or daughter turns out to be gay--that my friends would be KARMA in action.
Posted by: Tim | 18 February 2010 at 14:51
What a major loser! I hope the residents of that state voice their outrage over this action-- what a way to start your term, breaking something that was fixed. I hope they sue him for this, as the gay couple did in Kristin M. Perry v. Schwarzenegger
Posted by: CC | 18 February 2010 at 16:52
But Virginia is for lovers...
Posted by: Jim | 19 February 2010 at 00:22
I can't wait till those skeletons come out his closet soon....
Posted by: James M | 19 February 2010 at 13:56
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! That's awful! I hope there are protest over this, this should not be allowed to happen.
Posted by: cullen | 20 February 2010 at 02:02
Thanks
Posted by: Oyun Destek | 20 February 2010 at 14:54
This is sad, but not unexpected. Since the election of Obama, membership in hate groups have spiked - because disgruntled McCain/Palin supporters needed something to do, I guess.
Then they turned into the Tea Party movement angry at Obama for any and everything. They attracted even crazier crazies like 'The Birthers' and the militants who come scrapped to townhalls ever prepared for Civil War II.
Mix all these nuts together, add a healthy dose of understandable Democratic voter apathy and voila - we get Scott Brown, Chris Christie, a Fundie Governor who immediately strips rights away, and some others I know about yet.
There is no need to wonder how McDonnell feels about repealing DADT; or his position on Uganda's "Kill the Gays" Bill. We can guess he and others are watching that situation closely to see how it turns out.
When the climate is right for them to really come after us, they gladly will. It's time we woke up from our delirium, the fundies are trying to take over again and spreading lies and misinformation to do it. They begin with the false premise that "gay" is a behavior not a being, or a person. From there anything they advocate is excusable (to them at least).
It's time we got pissed about that - and vocal. It's also why we should care about Uganda's bill. Because Uganda is just a test run inspired by Americans. The fundies would love to bring some of that bill home.
Posted by: Taylor Siluwé | 20 February 2010 at 19:09