Virginia GOP Promotes Hate

My advice to LGBT citizens or progressive businesses thinking of moving to Virginia: Don't!! Virginia's General Assembly, in large measure due to the religious fanatic controlled Republican Party of Virginia cares nothing about equality for all under the law and continues to vote as if Virginia was a theocracy, continues to treat gays and others as second class citizens. The extreme religious views of the increasingly delusional GOP base trump all else, including what is best for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The latest proof of this is what has happened to Del. Adam Ebbin's bill to extend employment non-discrimination to LGBT Virginians employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Here from Assembly Access:

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House Republicans in a General Laws subcommittee last night killed Del. Adam Ebbin’s HB2385, which would prohibit discrimination in public employment based on sexual orientation. A majority of the House Democratic Caucus co-patroned the bill, while GOP Del. Todd Gilbert argued that the measure “may not be in the best interest of our society.”

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Like the GOP has given so much to society of late: a war sold to the public based on lies, a regime that approved war crimes activities, and the worst economy since the Great Depression just for starters. I continue to believe that Christian fundamentalists, Mormons, and far right Catholics pose a clear and present danger to the rule of law in this nation and they continue to undermine freedom of religion for other citizens who don't happen to be Kool-Aid drinkers. The Richmond blog Left of the Hill sums up my views as follows:

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By killing this nondiscrimination measure, however, the House Republicans have provided Virginia's voters with a prime example of why we need to elect a Democratic majority in the House of Delegates. It is never alright for an elected official to place hatred before the rights of all Virginians. By depriving people protection against discrimination at a time when our country so desperately needs the leaders to stand up for the working class, the Republicans have shown that they are willing to promote that message of hatred instead of standing up for what's right. When voters head to the polls in November, this will simply be one of many reminders of the harm the Republican majority has done to our Commonwealth.

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The action also underscores why it is critical that Bob McDonnell NOT be elected as governor in November since he is one of these Kool-Aid drinkers who despises freedom of religion for all.