Virginia Blog and Roanoke Times Slam Tim Kaine

I have done post concerning the pathetic lack of legal protections available to LGBT Virginians. The Canons of Judicial Conduct which bar judges from being biased against litigants based on their sexual orientation are routinely ignored by far too many judges and not enforced by the Judicial Review Commission. In terms of employment non-discrimination protections, there are none other than Tim Kaine's apparently meaningless Executive Order 1 (2006) that claims to protect state employees. In terms of marriage, we have no rights whatsoever due to an amendment to the Virginia Constitution. In short, we are not even second class citizens here in Virginia. Here is Not Larry Sabato's take on Tim Kaine and Executive Order 1 (2006):

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"A former state employee says he was fired because his boss found out he was gay. When he filed suit, the Circuit Court of the city of Martinsville said that an executive order signed by Gov. Tim Kaine prohibiting such discrimination against state employees provides no legal protection for him."

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This is remarkable on a few different levels. Tim Kaine is head of the executive branch of the state government. Every agency head reports to him. If an employee was fired for being gay, why did Kaine not call the head of that agency into his office and tell them to reinstate the employee or they would be fired? Instead he allows them to defy his executive order- and does nothing about it?

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More importantly- how is someone so indifferent to this kind of absurdity serving as head of the DNC? Does Kaine have any basic beliefs that guide the way he governs? How can he fight to repeal things like DADT if he can't even stop state employees in the Virginia from being fired for being gay?

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The Roanoke Times likewise finds anti-gay employment discrimination ridiculous and calls for legislation to cure this appalling situation:

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Through his spokesman, Kaine said the executive order would remain in effect, but as an internal policy. Workers who are fired or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation can seek redress through the state's personnel procedures, said spokesman Gordon Hickey.

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That's less than adequate. The decision by the Martinsville court should be a convincing sign to the General Assembly that protection against such discrimination must be written into Virginia's code. Only a law will offer genuine confidence to Virginia's gay employees that they won't face irrational threats to their employment based on their sexual orientation.

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Like President Obama, Tim Kaine makes pro-gay statements, but his follow through is largely nonexistent.