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Loading ...Va. gov counters state atty. gen.’s advice on gays
03.11.2010 8:38am EST
(Richmond, Va.) Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has directed state agencies not to discriminate against gay people, essentially overriding the state attorney general’s advice to colleges.
McDonnell’s directive Wednesday came amid a public uproar over Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli’s letter last week telling public colleges they lack the authority to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Cuccinelli told colleges to rescind or change any anti-discrimination policies that include protection for gay people.The Republican attorney general’s letter was denounced by gay-rights groups and Democrats. In the letter, Cuccinelli said colleges can’t include gays in their anti-discrimination policies without General Assembly authorization.
A directive does not have the weight of law. The Executive Order still stands and is the law.
He is trying to fool us.
I wouldn’t trust anything that comes out of the mouths of either of those scumbags!
I simply cannot fathom this. That an institution “must” allow discrimination as a point of their own policy if the state doesn’t explicitly bad that discrimination legally? It is the most convoluted idiotic reasoning I have ever heard.
No surprise here. Virginia has the most hateful anti-Gay laws in the country.
I don’t think, from this report, that the two contradict each other. One is saying that you can’t specifically protect GLBT folks. The other is saying that you shouldn’t discriminate against them.
The latter doesn’t mean that you have to protect them. The former doesn’t mean you are obligated to discriminate against them. But if a college /does/ discriminate, there is now no legal recourse for GLBT people.
There isn’t a fight here between the two of them. The gov looks, to me, like he is trying to soften the reaction he’s gotten while not changing the discriminatory policy one bit.
Actually the Attorney General is full of Shit. The majority of Colleges accept Federal Funds and are thereby bound by Federal Law which supersedes State law.
I wonder how long it will be before LGBT Americans develop a spine and demand that their equality – as guaranteed by both the Full Faith & Credit Clause AND the Equal Protections Clause of the U.S. Constitution – be enforced in law.
Do you need to be reminded that inter-racial marriages became legal under the law because of the (ahem) Loving v. Virginia case using the exact same Constitutional Clauses?
Virginia is for haters, it seems.
I agree with John Moore–this is entirely a PR move on McDonnell’s part–what he’s not saying is –let’s make changes. Cuccinelli is right. But let’s work together to make him wrong…
Do we all realize that we are talking about Human Beings? Oh but then again maybe theyre only three-fifths human.
The Governor is simply trying to deflect criticism.
If you are a parent of a Gay or Lesbian student in Virginia pull that child out, they are in danger.
If you are a business understand that Virginia will not protect your Gay and Lesbian employees and you could be held liable for endangering them.
We still must fight Governor McDonnell’s executive order that removed protection from discrimination for LGBT people. Everyone– and that includes you– must write to the governor and protest that executive order. We must demand full protection for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, from discrimination. You do not have to be a citizen of Virginia to write to the governor and protest discrimination.
The gov is prob trying to cover his ass.
the state in the south in particular is still fighting the civil war. A bunch of ignorant “Jesus hates” freaks.
But this shows that pressure does accomplish something.
ALL this hate and ignorance just makes me sick to my stomach; our forefathers would be “rolling over in their graves” if they witnessed the discrimination in our supposedly “free country”. All hogwash; our public officials are allowing religion to trump the constitution!
Cuccinelli makes me glad I don’t live in Virginia. Shame such a scenically beautiful state has to be trashed by such small-minded bigots in the attorney general’s office and in the governor’s office as well as in the Virginia state legislature. Bigotry makes a state much less beautiful.
I agree, if I were a parent in Virginia I would send a gay or lesbian child to college in a New England marriage equality state instead.
Good idea, WayneW I will myself write to the attorney general’s office to protest his advice to colleges that they do not have the authority to protect gay people from discrimination.
I don’t hesitate to write e-mails to bigotted officials strongly protesting their oppression of gay people. And have done so time and time again.
Virginia is for Haters