Only the Virginia House of Delegates Can Stop It!
The Senate General Laws Committee approved a pro-homosexual bill (SB 202, Ebbin-D) by a vote of 12-3 to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” (SOGI) to current Virginia “anti-discrimination” laws for state and local government employees equating sexual orientation and gender identity with race, sex, religion, etc. as protected classes of workers. Then the bill quickly moved to the full Virginia State Senate which quickly passed the measure 29 -10 with 10 Republicans voting YES. Recap below.
Special protection for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity citizens (SOGI) language in the bill provides that: “‘Gender identity’ means the gender-related identity, appearance, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, with or without regard to the individual’s designated sex at birth. ‘Sexual orientation’ means a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality.”
The committee members who voted “YEA” on SB 202 were:
Democrats – Locke, Barker, Ebbin, Wexton, Surovell, McPike, Mason
Republicans – Reeves, Vogel, Sutterlein, Dunnavant, Sturtevant
The three Republicans who voted “NO” were – Ruff, Black, DeSteph
The full Virginia Senate passed SB 202 by a vote of 29 to 10.
Did your senator vote for this? http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?181+vot+SV0156SB0202+SB0202
Of the 29 voting for SB 202, 10 were Republicans
A second pro-homosexual bill, passed the same Committee by a 12-3 vote. SB 423 (Wexton-D), added “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to current Virginia “anti-discrimination” law regarding housing. The Wexton bill affords special protections for the same “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” definitions as the Ebbin bill.
The committee members who voted “YEA” on SB 423 were
Democrats – Locke, Barker, Ebbin, Wexton, Surovell, McPike, Mason
Republicans – Vogel, DeSteph, Sutterlein, Dunnavant, Sturtevant.
SB 202, three Republicans who voted “NO” were – Ruff, Black, Reeves.
SB 423 affecting housing passed 29-10. Did your senator vote for this? http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?181+vot+SV0159SB0423+SB0423
Two Bills are Heading to the House of Delegates
Only the Virginia House of Delegates Can Stop It!
Most Virginians understand that Man is God’s special work of Creation. Men and women bear God’s image. They are distinguishable from the rest of His creation by the free will given to them to conduct their lives within civil societies arranged in accordance with His Divine Order. In Genesis1:27, we find one of the more basic pronouncements of that Order in the Truth that “He created them male and female”. Christians and others of good will must preserve that Order.
Christians are urged to contact their delegates today to block passage of these two bills which discriminate against faithful Christians. Christians can find out who their delegate is and how to contact them at the following website and enter your address. http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Attacking Christians with the Law:
An inquiry to Secretary of the Commonwealth, Nancy Rodriguez, in late 2013 regarding job discrimination in Virginia’s state government workforce disclosed that in 13 years there were 18 complaints of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) job bias, but NO founded cases among the state’s approximately 125,000 workers.
Some witnesses claimed that when realtors in Virginia were called about persons purportedly seeking rental property, couples who identified as heterosexual received more call backs than homosexual couples. Proponents of Wexler’s bill claimed it was needed to ensure fair housing for homosexuals and those who believe their gender is different from their XY or XX genetic identity or reproductive organs.
Calls may not have been returned for many reasons but lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer (LGBTQ) proponents were quick to claim they were victims of invidious discrimination in need of legislative correction. The government representative for the Virginia Catholic Conference, who spoke against SB 423, indicated the bill would require Catholic housing organizations to violate their religious beliefs about marriage, but that did not stop the assault on the consciences of Catholics and Christians by the bill patrons, including the ACLU and others who voted and testified for its passage.
Find your delegate and how to contact them at the following website and enter your address. http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Christian Housing Impacted
Of course, other Christian housing agencies would also be affected, including religious run colleges which offer student or faculty housing.
Further, for faith-based charities to provide housing for so-called same-sex married couples would be to materially co-operate with facilitating homosexual sodomy, lesbian sexual practices and other same-sex behaviors rejected in the Hebrew and New Testaments as inimical to the Creator’s plan for our happiness in this life and friendship with God in the next.
The ultimate goal of such Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) legislation is to remove private Christian-based charity and social work from operating in Virginia, in favor of secular government agencies which implement profoundly intolerant and hostile policies towards Christians.
Virginia Assembly members who support Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) legislation violate their Oath of Office because Virginia’s Constitution provides that: “ … it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other. No man shall be … restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief. …” Bill of Rights, Virginia Constitution, Article 1, Section 16.
Moreover, even if amending language is added to the housing or employment bill excluding Faith-based organizations or persons whose conscience forbids them from co-operating with pro-homosexual policies, such language could be amended out of the bill by Governor Northam later. Therefore, no form of either bill should be allowed to pass.
You are urged to contact your state senator and delegate and ask them to prevent this and any other effort to advance anti-Christian persecution in Virginia. Ask them to oppose all Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) legislation.
Find your delegate and how to contact them at the following website and enter your address. http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Unanswered and Unaddressed Questions:
Will state agencies be required to ask employees their sexual orientation or gender identity, or state recognized charities providing housing or state licensed realtors or rental agents be required to undergo Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) awareness training? (Sen. Wexton introduced SB 892 requiring all General Assembly members, legislative staff and other legislative employees to undergo sexual harassment training.)
- Does Virginia have a catalogue of gender identities that will be covered by the bills?
- Can an employee’s “gender identity” or “sexual orientation” change, and if so what are the objective standards by which to measure such identity or changes?
- Will transgender state employees be able to use restrooms, changing facilities, lockers or showers in public buildings that correspond to their claimed “gender” even if it does not correspond to their biological sex?
- Would this also apply to state police barracks, state or local government operated health facilities including clinics, hospitals, fire stations, facilities for mentally handicapped, college dormitories, restrooms at roadside state operated rest stops?
- How would these Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity (SOGI) provisions apply to residential facilities owned or leased or rented by state or local government?
- Will the “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” protected by these bills apply to any buildings leased or rented by state or local government?
- Will state and local governments be required to post for the public that restrooms, etc., may be used by persons who claim identity different than an “individual’s designated sex at birth?”
Find your delegate and how to contact them at the following website and enter your address. http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
