Not surprisingly, to date Virginia's new governor, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell (at left) has not signed an executive order explicitly banning employment discrimination in Virginia government agency work force. McDonnell is the first governor in 36 years to fail to sign such an executive order as one of the first actions upon taking office. Obviously, this does not bode well for Virginia's public employees, particularly LGBT Virginians. In Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History, McDonnell as Attorney General consistently maintained that sexual orientation is not a protected class and Ken Cuccinelli, the new Attorney General is even more homophobic than McDonnell. The irony is in all of this is that anti-gay discrimination is actual religious based discrimination which should already be illegal under Virginia and federal statutes and constitutions. Of course, McDonnell and Cuccinelli are Christianists and have in the past demonstrated that in their view only far right Christians have religious freedom while the rest of us are supposed to live under their imposed religious beliefs. Jefferson must indeed be rolling over in his grave across the valley from where I sit as I write this post. Like it or not, McDonnell is going to be forced to show his bigotry or take action that will inflame the gay-haters of the GOP base, many of whom in my view are also racists. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post:*
RICHMOND -- Newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has not yet issued an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce, breaking a 36-year tradition by governors of both parties of making a formal statement on the issue one of their first acts in office.
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McDonnell was clear during his campaign for governor that he believed his two Democratic predecessors had overstepped the bounds of their executive authority when they included discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in their orders on the issue and that he would not renew their acts.
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Virginia governors back to Mills E. Godwin Jr., who left office in 1978, have issued a statement prohibiting discrimination on those grounds as either their first or second executive order -- it was order No. 2 for both of the state's last two Republican governors, George F. Allen and James S. Gilmore III.
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Federal law prohibits discrimination on those grounds [race, religion and sex] and McDonnell's office said this week that he will not tolerate bias in his administration. However, a spokeswoman said he is still reviewing whether to formally issue what would be a symbolic executive order on the issue.
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The discrimination order poses a difficult choice for McDonnell, a social conservative who tried to play down controversial cultural politics during his campaign in favor of economic issues. Issuing an order without the language on sexual orientation would highlight its absence. Del. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the legislature's only openly gay member, said recently he'd prefer to see no order than one he would perceive as divisive that failed to mention sexual orientation. But issuing no order at all would be a clear departure from past practice in a state with a complicated and emotional history with racial discrimination.
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McDonnell's actions are being followed closely by members of the General Assembly, where Democrats have proposed legislation to ban discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation. Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond), sponsor of the measure, said he hopes to receive McDonnell's support, given that the new governor has said repeatedly that he believed extending legal protections to sexual orientation, which is not covered by federal statute, is a policy issue that must be addressed by the legislature. The bill has narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle, surviving a Democratically controlled committee on an 8 to 7 vote.
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McDonnell's office this week sidestepped questions about his position on the bill. Among its opponents is the conservative Family Foundation, which has been a major supporter of McDonnell's and twice awarded him its legislator of the year award while he was serving in the House of Delegates. Chris Freund, a spokesman for the group, said there is no evidence that gay state employees currently face workplace discrimination.
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McEachin said he believes state employees do still face discrimination. "I don't believe discrimination is a thing of the past," he said. "And if it is, what harm would a law do?" The full Senate will take up the measure next week but it will almost certainly die in the GOP-led House of Delegates, which has voted against similar measures.
RICHMOND -- Newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has not yet issued an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce, breaking a 36-year tradition by governors of both parties of making a formal statement on the issue one of their first acts in office.
*
McDonnell was clear during his campaign for governor that he believed his two Democratic predecessors had overstepped the bounds of their executive authority when they included discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in their orders on the issue and that he would not renew their acts.
*
Virginia governors back to Mills E. Godwin Jr., who left office in 1978, have issued a statement prohibiting discrimination on those grounds as either their first or second executive order -- it was order No. 2 for both of the state's last two Republican governors, George F. Allen and James S. Gilmore III.
*
Federal law prohibits discrimination on those grounds [race, religion and sex] and McDonnell's office said this week that he will not tolerate bias in his administration. However, a spokeswoman said he is still reviewing whether to formally issue what would be a symbolic executive order on the issue.
*
The discrimination order poses a difficult choice for McDonnell, a social conservative who tried to play down controversial cultural politics during his campaign in favor of economic issues. Issuing an order without the language on sexual orientation would highlight its absence. Del. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the legislature's only openly gay member, said recently he'd prefer to see no order than one he would perceive as divisive that failed to mention sexual orientation. But issuing no order at all would be a clear departure from past practice in a state with a complicated and emotional history with racial discrimination.
*
McDonnell's actions are being followed closely by members of the General Assembly, where Democrats have proposed legislation to ban discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation. Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond), sponsor of the measure, said he hopes to receive McDonnell's support, given that the new governor has said repeatedly that he believed extending legal protections to sexual orientation, which is not covered by federal statute, is a policy issue that must be addressed by the legislature. The bill has narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle, surviving a Democratically controlled committee on an 8 to 7 vote.
*
McDonnell's office this week sidestepped questions about his position on the bill. Among its opponents is the conservative Family Foundation, which has been a major supporter of McDonnell's and twice awarded him its legislator of the year award while he was serving in the House of Delegates. Chris Freund, a spokesman for the group, said there is no evidence that gay state employees currently face workplace discrimination.
*
McEachin said he believes state employees do still face discrimination. "I don't believe discrimination is a thing of the past," he said. "And if it is, what harm would a law do?" The full Senate will take up the measure next week but it will almost certainly die in the GOP-led House of Delegates, which has voted against similar measures.
1 comment:
It was nice watching him lie through his teeth about "equality" in his response to Obama's State of the Union address. Everyone should be equal, but straight people should be more equal.
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