Key West 2020 -Days Two and Three

The last two days in Key West have been wonderful both in terms of the weather and having great times with good friends.  Friday we spent much of the day around the pool at The Equator (shown above) before heading out to dinner. The Waterfront Play House production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert was great fun and once again was amazing in the level of professionalism a small community theater can provide.  Both the actin (and singing) and costumes were first rate. The historic homes tour was once again fun and provided a slew of decorating and rehab ideas that we can perhaps use as we update our 101 year old home. The highlight yesterday was our annual lunch at Latitudes on Sunset Key (the view is shown in the photo below). 

Today some of our group will visit the Truman Little White House - a very interesting place - while the rest of us chill by the pool before going to Tea Dance at La Te Da at 4;00 pm.  

If you have never been to Key West, I recommend it highly (this is my 12th trip) if you want a place filled with natural beauty and a fun everyone is welcome mindset. 

Key West 2020 - Day One

Blog posting will be reduced through next Tuesday as the husband and I enjoy our annual trip to Key West.  We traveled down yesterday - we began with a 5:20 am flight after American Airlines cancelled our 7:00 am flight and stuck us on the crack of dawn flight.  As usual, we are staying at The Equator resort along with a contingent of friends from Virginia.  We lounged by the pool and then had dinner at Blue Heaven before going to La Te Da for more cocktails. Our friend Jenny is house sitting/dog sitting for us.  Today we are doing the historic homes tour and will see the Waterfront Playhouse presentation of Priscilla Queen of the Desert this evening. We LOVE Key West!!

PS True to form, I have already had to work on multiple client matters.  I truly never get fully away.

New York City Weekend - Day 2

We had a great time yesterday afternoon and evening with the high point being seeing Hello Dolly with Bette Midler.   We had dinner in the theater district before the show and came across an interesting looking restaurant for dinner tonight.  After the show last night I had a chance to talk briefly with Gavin Creel - one of the cast members - as a collection for Broadway Cares (Creel is on the board of trustees) was taken up. We finished the evening with drinks at the Monster Bar located 1/2 block up the street from where we are staying. 

Today's agenda includes shopping, including some consignment shops where we have found great cowboy boots - we like them in the winter months - vintage formal wear and accessories.  This afternoon we are meeting the daughter of one of the husband's clients who lives here in NYC and works in the fashion industry.  Then it will be dinner followed by a gay themed off Broadway show.  Odds are we will end the day at the Monster Bar where there will likely be creative Halloween costumes based on what we saw last night (a guy in full Maleficent regalia was over the top).

Fort Lauderdale - 2017 - Day 1

We arrived safely in Fort Lauderdale yesterday afternoon after flying out of Richmond on a direct flight on Jet Blue (there are no direct flights out of Norfolk, which has less than great air service). We took a brief detour before going to the airport so that the husband could cut the Lt. Governor's hair at his office to keep him looking good as he begins his run for governor. 

We had not seen the home of the friends with whom were are staying since last year when it was under construction.  The finished result is gorgeous. After a "welcome" Cosmo, we had dinner at a great Cuban restaurant, Mario's Catalina Restaurant.  After that we headed to Wilton Manor and bought a few clothes at Mix Men's Wear - I bought a tuxedo jacket that I will wear to the Equality Virginia in event in April - before going to nearby Hinter's for drinks and dancing (my passion).   

This morning we are headed to Sebastian Beach, may do some more shopping this afternoon and then dinner and a play tonight.

2016 - Key West - Day 5

Sunset cruise with a client and friends - a definite trip highlight

Sadly, we are back home in Hampton after another unpleasant return trip via American Airlines: we got home at 1:15 am.  Yesterday's posting was minimal due to Internet and computer issues as well as the lengthy time involved in traveling home and the many hours spent sitting at Reagan National Airport.  That said, the last day in Key West was enjoyable and returning home to Hampton reminded me how much I hate cold weather!

The morning was spent first my checking my office e-mail,  Then a couple of hours reading in the sun before walking to a local Cuban restaurant, El Siboney, for lunch.  Then it was shopping for last minute gifts for the grandchildren before  taking a cab to the airport to begin the much longer than expected trip home.  

Today, it is back to the grind and the chaos of private law practice.

Key West Bound - Decreased Posting

The husband and I leave for Key West on a crack of dawn flight in the morning.  I will no doubt be working late at the office as I try to get out of town, so posting will be reduced this evening and tomorrow morning.  The good news is that we will be in Key West before noon tomorrow.  The husband's adopted brother will be house sitting and baby sitting the dogs on the home front.  We will be staying once again at The Equator on Fleming Street (pictured above) where we stayed during our last visit to Key West in 2014.  I am excited, but dread getting up to make the 5:25 AM flight out of Norfolk International.  Drop me a message if you will be in Key West over the weekend.

Why Are More and More LGBTs Moving to Red States?

Image courtesy of Consumer Affair -click to enlarges

While the husband and I will likely never leave Virginia permanently due to (i) the husband's very successful salon and his desire to never fully retire, and (ii) grandchildren in Virginia - two more are due in June/July - one of my dreams has long been to move to a gay-friendly state where we won't be second class citizens.  Many other LGBT Americans likely feel the same way.  Yet, according to a recent Consumer Affairs report, more and more LGBT's are moving to new LGBT safe havens are popping up across the nation, many of which are located in red states.  Among the cities mentioned as a "LGBT safe haven" is Norfolk, Virginia where 4.4% of the population is estimated to be LGBT. A piece in The Advocate looks at the forces behind the trend.  Here are highlights:

Many LGBT youths believe they have to move to notoriously gay-friendly cities like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle in order to live full and happy lives. However, according to a recent Consumer Affairs report, new LGBT safe havens are popping up across the nation. But the most surprising thing? Many of these cities are in red states. 

Salt Lake City, Louisville, Norfolk, Indianapolis, and other middle-tier red state cities offer LGBT youths greater affordability and less competition for well-paying jobs. In 1990, one-percent of Salt Lake City identified as LGBT, Consumer Affairs reported. Today, five-percent do. 

“What you’re really seeing is reflective of other national trends,” Consumer Affairs content manager Ryan Daly told The Daily Beast. “Specifically, it lines up with people—especially young people—choosing less to live in huge, expensive cities, which were traditionally friendlier toward LGBTQ individuals, and choosing instead to make lives for themselves in small and mid-tier cities in the middle and southern states.”

Affordability is the biggest factor in this migration. Also, the LGBT anti-discrimination laws passed locally and nationally have helped to make red state cities more desirable. With same-sex marriage now legal nationwide, LGBT members are less bound to crowded and expensive gay-friendly cities. 

While there is still major work to be done on anti-discriminatory transgender laws in many of these new safe havens, it is inspiring to see shifting demographics in traditionally conservative locales. With uber conservative Republicans in the presidential race right now, it will be telling to see whether this sea-change continues regardless of who wins the election. 

I will concede that over the last 13+ years since I came out and moved to Norfolk, there has been a sea change.  Some has been powered by U.S. Supreme Court rulings such as those in Lawrence and Obergefell, But in this area, I see the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as another significant factor.  With many out military personnel, a growing number of whom are in same sex marriages, many older conservatives are being forced to rethink prejudices.    Yet another factor for change has been the growing realization of local cities that gay friendliness is good for business.

New Gallup Study Finds Gays Everywhere in America

A new analysis of Gallup survey data is offering perhaps the most detailed data yet about where people in the LGBT community live.  Cities in the West lead the way in the percentage of residents who identify as LGBT, but the analysis also finds that gays are pretty much everywhere across America - even in backwaters of ignorance and bigotry in the South.   Gays also tend to be more numerous in college and university towns that attract more educated populations that bring increased tolerance.  Overall, the conclusions are bad news for the Christofascists who claim gays are much less numerous than is the case and for the anti-gay GOP which can lose a close election if the LGBT vote goes heavily Democrat (as has happened in Virginia).  A piece in the New York Times looks at the findings.  Here are highlights:

The Gallup analysis finds the largest concentrations in the West — and not just in the expected places like San Francisco and Portland, Ore. Among the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, Denver and Salt Lake City are also in the top 10. How could Salt Lake be there, given its well-known social conservatism? It seems to be a kind of regional capital of gay life, attracting people from other parts of Utah and the Mormon West.

On the other hand, some of the East Coast places with famous gay neighborhoods, including in New York, Miami and Washington, have a smaller percentage of their population who identify as gay — roughly average for a big metropolitan area. The least gay urban areas are in the Midwest and South.

Significant as these differences are, the similarities are just as notable. Gay America, rather than being confined to a few places, spreads across every major region of the country. 

Nationwide, Gallup says, 3.6 percent of adults consider themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. And even the parts of the country outside the 50 biggest metropolitan areas have a gay population (about 3 percent) not so different from some big metropolitan areas. It’s a reflection in part of increasing tolerance and of social connections made possible by the Internet.

One factor behind the data — in Portland and elsewhere — may be people’s willingness to tell a pollster that they’re gay, lesbian or bisexual. In addition to having a larger gay population, places like Portland may also have a larger share of their gay population who publicly identify as such.

It’s no accident that some of the country’s most educated metro areas have some of the largest gay populations. Gay and lesbian Americans are not substantially more educated than the rest of the population, according to Gary Gates, a co-author of “The Gay and Lesbian Atlas,” who has studied the Gallup data. But university campuses — and the spillover neighborhoods from them, where college graduates congregate — have long been more accepting.

Boston, a city famous for its colleges, is the only East Coast metropolitan area to crack the top eight of Gallup’s ranking. Austin, home of the University of Texas, joins New Orleans as the only Southern city to be so high on the list.

Besides education, a few other factors correlate with having bigger gay populations. Metro areas with a greater share of gay and lesbian residents tend to lean Democratic. They have more adults under the age of 45 and larger Latino and Asian-American populations.

Many of the areas with the lowest percentages of L.G.B.T. people are in the South, and none have a lower share than Birmingham, where 2.6 percent of the population identifies as gay. Throughout the South, conservative Protestantism has shaped many people’s views.  

Below is a list of all 50 of the largest metro areas, along with Gallup’s estimate of the L.G.B.T. population in each:

San Francisco, 6.2 percent

Portland, Ore., 5.4

Austin, Tex., 5.3

New Orleans, 5.1

Seattle, 4.8

Boston, 4.8

Salt Lake City, 4.7

Los Angeles, 4.6

Denver, 4.6

Hartford, 4.6

Louisville, Ky., 4.5

Virginia Beach, 4.4

Providence, R.I., 4.4

Las Vegas, 4.3

Columbus, Ohio, 4.3

Jacksonville, Fla., 4.3

Miami, 4.2

Indianapolis, 4.2

Atlanta, 4.2

Orlando, Fla., 4.1

Tampa, Fla. 4.1

Phoenix, 4.1

New York, 4

San Antonio, 4

Washington, 4

Riverside, Calif., 4

Philadelphia, 3.9

Baltimore, 3.9

Buffalo, 3.9

Detroit, 3.9

Sacramento, 3.9

San Diego, 3.9

Charlotte, N.C., 3.8

Chicago, 3.8

Dallas, 3.8

Cleveland, 3.7

Kansas City (Mo. and Kan.), 3.6

Minneapolis-St. Paul, 3.6

St. Louis, 3.6

Oklahoma City, 3.5

Richmond, Va., 3.5

Nashville., 3.5

Milwaukee, 3.5

Houston, 3.3

San Jose, Calif., 3.2

Raleigh, N.C., 3.2

Cincinnati, 3.2

Memphis, 3.1

Pittsburgh, 3

Birmingham, Ala., 2.6

Note the percentages for Richmond and Virginia Beach.  I suspect Northern Virginia has even higher percentages but doesn't make the list due to how metro areas are defined.  The Virginia GOP needs to take note and accept the reality that its anti-gay bigotry is helping to make it non-competitive in state wide races. 

Norfolk Seeks to Promote Its LGBT Municipal Equality Index

With the Commonwealth of Virginia launching a new LGBT Tourism Task Force, it seems that at least one Hampton Roads city is trying to make itself more attractive to would be LGBT tourists by playing up its score on HRC's latest Municipal Equality Index for 353 cities across America.  The city?  Norfolk, which with a score of 59 out scores all other Hampton Roads cities.  What's left out of the City's press release is that the top scores in Virginia came in Alexandria and Arlington which scored 94 and 96, respectively.  Sadly, the City of Hampton where the husband and I live scored a pitiful 32 in part I suspect because when Molly Joseph Ward left the mayor's office, all meaningful efforts to regularly build a relationship with the LGBT community ceased (Molly Ward now serves as Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources).  The irony for Hampton municipal officials is that they are lagging behind organizations like the Hampton Yacht Club which has a growing LGBT membership.  In contrast, Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim has gone from acting as if gays are radioactive to being a personal sponsor of this year's PrideFest.  Here are highlights from Norfolk's press release.

The 2014 Municipal Equality Index evaluates a city’s laws and policies then examines how inclusive city services are of LGBT people.  The MEI rated 353 municipalities of varying sizes throughout the United States.  Read the MEI http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/municipal-equality-index

Norfolk scored 59 points out of a possible 100.  The score equals the national average and put Norfolk fourth out of the nine cities scored in Virginia.   Norfolk significantly increased its 2013 score by raising the Human Right Campaign’s awareness of many policies already in place in Norfolk.  Those include:

• Equal employment opportunities
• Anti-bullying policies
• City of Norfolk as an inclusive workplace
• City leadership’s position on equality

Norfolk, along with all other Virginia localities, received recognition for marriage equality when the U.S. Supreme Court in October denied review of cases challenging state constitutional amendments which resulted in the recognition of same-sex marriage in Virginia.

Obviously, Hampton Roads has a long way to go in terms of making itself truly LGBT friendly and accepting.  That said, outside of the greater DC area, Hampton Roads is the bright center of the gay universe when compared to the ignorance embracing, Bible thumping regions of Southwest Virginia which not coincidentally find it difficult to attract new business and/or forward thinking entrepreneurs.    

Key West Bound - A Much Needed Break

The boyfriend (soon to be husband) and I are flying out this morning for a long weekend in Key West.  Preparing to leave has been a bitch what with coordinating the dog/house sitter, me trying to get client matters under control and working until 9:00PM on Monday and Tuesday and not quite as lat last night. Thankfully, we had a nice time at the Hampton Yacht Club with three of the boyfriend's country club women clients who we love to death last evening - although I arrived over an hour late due to putting  out out client brush fires late this afternoon.  Upon getting home we had a mini-crisis when we we notified that out flight out of Newport News was delayed and that our whole day tomorrow would be spent traveling as a result.  Thankfully, we manage to reschedule to leave out of Norfolk and now will get to Key West at 12:30PM as originally planned.

In past years we have stayed at The Oasis on Fleming Street a few blocks from Duval Street.  This trip, however, we are staying at The Equator since The Oasis was bought by a Swedish investor and it is now "all welcoming" instead of all gay.  A good friend headed down yesterday ahead of us and is already there.  Another friend joins us on Friday and there are some other Hampton Roads folks visiting, so it should be a wonderful time as always.   We also will be catching up with with former neighbors who moved to Key West within the last six months - they used to live a block down the street from us.  As is the norm, I will be blogging while in Key West albeit not as regularly, :)

Here's a view of the scenery flying in via our friend who arrived yesterday:

Hampton Roads Cities Score Poorly on HRC's Municipal Equality Index

Low scoring Norfolk

With all the talk by local city leaders wanting to diversify the Hampton Roads economy and to attract innovators and entrepreneurs, they are missing one of the easiest methods to send a message of being "open for business" and "all are welcome": adopt LGBT friendly policies and programs.  Richard Florida has time and time again found that a vibrant and welcomed gay community is the "canary in the coal mine" for signalling open and welcoming communities and that gays even provide a "gay index" in determining which cities are leaders in technological innovation.   The Human Rights Campaign describes it's Municipal Equality Index report:

HRC's Municipal Equality Index (MEI) demonstrates the ways that many cities can—and do— support the LGBT people who live and work there, even where states and the federal government have failed to do so.

This year's report rates a total of 291 cities from every state in the nation, representing a total population total of 77,851,822. Search below to find your city's 2013 MEI scorecard. You can also download the full 2013 MEI report here or flip through a digital version below. Click here to see how your city scored on the 2012 MEI report.

So how did the three Hampton Roads cities considered fair?  Not well at all.  Inside Business describes the scores of Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach this way:

Virginia Beach scored the highest in Hampton Roads with a score of 32 out of a possible 100. The city has a non-discrimination employment clause and a human rights commission. The city also reported its 2011 hate crime statistics to the FBI, has a positive public position on LGBT equality and has made positive efforts regarding LGBT equality, the report said.

Newport News came in second, with a score of 20. The report cited the city's human rights commission, the school system's anti-bullying policies and the police department's policy of reporting hate crime statistics to the FBI.

Chesapeake came in third with a score of 15. The report cited the city's non-discrimination employment policy and the police department's reporting of hate crime statistics.

Norfolk came in last, with a score of 12. The report cited the police department's practice of reporting hate crimes and the city's domestic partner registry, which the city was "forced to stop providing as a result of a restrictive state law."

Not a stellar showing by any means.  Norfolk in particular ought to be deeply embarrassed.  How did other parts of Virginia score? Here are some localities and their scores:

Alexandria --- 70

Arlington ---- 76

Fairfax County --- 40

Richmond ---- 36

What's really scary is that compared to Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads is progressive and down right liberal.  It's small wonder that with the closure of the textile mills and furniture factories that few businesses have wanted to relocate to Danville or Martinsville.  Anti-gay bigotry carries a high economic price.  

Ft. Lauderdale - July 2013 - A Sad Departure

We've had a wonderful time  here in the Ft. Lauderdale area over the last week and I for one am feeling less than thrilled to be headed back to Hampton Roads and anti-gay Virginia.  Admittedly, Florida is not a gay friendly state, but in this area one would never know it.  Virginia has nowhere comparable where gays seemingly are accepted by almost everyone and where business that cater to the LGBT market are so plentiful. During our stay we have been places ranging from the beautiful Lauderdale Yacht Club, to cruising down the Intercoastal Waterway to hitting the gay clubs in Wilton Manors taking an air boat ride across the Everglades at Cooperville.  

For those who have never visited the area, I recommend Ft. Lauderdale highly.  Below are some photos from over the last week.

Lauderdale Yacht Club

Intercoastal cruising

Everglades tour

Making it all the more fun were our hosts and their amazing home and our friends we shared time with, both the locals and the ones visiting from Virginia.

A little too close for comfort!!

Sebastian Beach

Our friends' home

Thankfully, we have been invited to visit again "any time."

Ft. Lauderdale - July 2013 - Day Six

Yesterday was pretty much non-stop from the time we headed out in the morning for our tour of a portion of Everglades National Park.  The photo above shows the sign for the tour company we used.  To say it was rustic is an understatement, although the air boat tour was enjoyable and informative   albeit unnerving when I had a 10 foot alligator about 4 feet away as I was seated near the side of the air boat.  Our boat captain was a hoot even though at first glance he was major league Bubba type.  Our band of adventurers included a number of friends also down visiting from Virginia (shown below in a somewhat cheesy photo that was included in the ticket price). I will post an alligator photo tomorrow.

After the Everglades expedition, we had drinks at the gorgeous home of friends in Wilton Manors followed by dinner at a great Thai restaurant in the same complex as the Alibi and Boom (gay clubs).  After dinner, we visited both clubs and also the Village Pub across Wilton Drive.

While Florida hardly ranks as a gay friendly state, the Ft. Lauderdale area is very gay friendly and I am not looking forward to returning to Virginia tomorrow evening.

Ft. Lauderdale July 2013 - Day Three

Our third day in the Ft. Lauderdale area was truly a busy one.  We spent a good part of the day enjoying near perfect weather at Sebastian Beach - the so-called gay beach - along with throngs of others.  Thanks to a steady wind, the temperatures were comfortable.   Besides the gather in of gays, what struck me as I walked along the water's edge was the racial and ethnic diversity of the crowd: black, white, Hispanic, and a mix of others with several languages being heard among the crowd.  It represents the future diversity of America even in states like Virginia.  It also represents what frightens the Hell out of Christian conservatives who see their strangle hold on society slowly and deservedly dying.

We had dinner at a French restaurant named Sage Cafe with our hosts and other friends visiting the area from Hampton Roads.  After dinner, we made our way over to Wilton Manors and did some clothes shopping since there are so many options for shopping for items one never sees in our backwater area.  We ended the evening by having a good time at The Alibi which was packed and playing great dance music.  

Ft. Lauderdale July 2013 - Day Two

Today was a great day even though it started out with me dealing with office e-mail and drafting documents for a couple of hours.  Kudos to my youngest daughter for holding down the fort at the law firm while we are out of town.   After lunch, we went out on our hosts' beautiful Intrepid 40' boat from which we flew the Hampton Yacht Club red and blue pennant (shown in the photo above).  Cruising around Lighthouse Point and parts of Pompano Beach, I was struck by (i) the wealth in this area and (ii) how much of a backwater Hampton Roads is in comparison.  The image below is looking down the creek from out hosts' dock, followed by a shot of one of the  boats we saw on our cruise. 

To thank our hosts for their hospitality, the boyfriend and I took them (and a friend who they are also hosting) to dinner at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale proper.  Through our Hampton Yacht Club membership, we have reciprocal benefits with yacht clubs around the country (and other parts of the world).   The dinner and the club facility were both amazing.  Thankfully, our guest membership is good through the day we head back to Virginia. :)  A photo of the club's pool and pavilion complex is set out below.

Tomorrow's plans include a visit to Sebastian Beach - the "gay beach" in Ft. Lauderdaler - followed by a get together with friends in Wilton Manor for drinks and dinner.  On Saturday, we will be throwing our traditional gay house dinner/party at our hosts' home.

Again, I hope local readers will drop me an email at michaelinnorfolk@gmail.com in the hope that we can perhaps meet for a drink or something.

Our Ft. Lauderdale Vacation Starts Tomorrow

In the morning the boyfriend and I are headed to Ft. Lauderdale to stay with friends that hosted us back in February (where we are staying is shown in the images above and below).  Posting tomorrow will be limited since we will be in travel mode.  Our two dogs will be sojourning at the boyfriend's father's home while we are away and the Terry McAuliffe staffer that we are hosting through November will be holding down things at the house with the help of a friend here in the neighborhood who will tend the boyfriends numerous potted plants.  Interestingly enough, we are driving to Richmond to catch a direct flight on Jet Blue that was extremely reasonable and which avoids the pitfalls of connections.

While in the Ft. Lauderdale area, we will definitely make use of our reciprocal membership benefits through HYC.

I would ask any readers in the Ft. Lauderdale area to e-mail me if they'd like to get together.  We will be getting together with friend from the area and also seeing Virginia friends who have second homes in the area, but meeting new friends is always something we enjoy.  I am 100% serious in extending this invitation.

Hampton Mayor Ward Signs Mayors for the Freedom to Marry Pledge

Mayor Molly Ward

Studies have shown that an openness to diversity and a welcoming atmosphere for LGBT citizens enhances a city or state's economic vibrancy and is in the final analysis good for business and economic well being.  Indeed, such an atmosphere makes a city more attractive to the so-called creative class and there is a strong correlation between how a city or region scores on Richard Florida's "gay index" and how it does with attracting high tech companies.  Sadly, this reality is largely lost on most political leaders in Virginia, especially those in the Republican Party who grovel to the reactionary and theocratic dictates of The Family Foundation based in Richmond.  But things are changing - even in Virginia.  This week Hampton Mayor Molly Ward (pictured) joined mayors across America who have signed the freedom to marry pledge originated by the organization Freedom to Marry.  In doing so, she joins Alexandria, Virginia mayor, William Euille, and Charlottesville mayor, Satyendra Singh Huja, the only other Virginia mayors who to my knowledge have likewise signed the pledge.  Here are key excerpts from the Mayors for Freedom to Marry Pledge:

As mayors of great American cities, we proudly stand together in support of the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. We personally know many gay and lesbian people living in our cities who are in committed, loving relationships, who are active participants in the civic life of our communities, and who deserve to be able to marry the person with whom they share their life.
  
We are proud that at its 2009 annual meeting, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously approved a resolution stating that: “The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports marriage equality for same-sex couples, and the recognition and extension of full equal rights to such unions, including family and medical leave, tax equity, and insurance and retirement benefits, and opposes the enshrinement of discrimination in the federal or state constitutions.”

Our cities derive great strength from their diversity, and gay and lesbian families are a crucial part. Studies have shown what we know through our hands-on experience—that cities that celebrate and cultivate diversity are the places where creativity and ideas thrive. They are the places where today’s entrepreneurs are most likely to choose to build the businesses of tomorrow. Allowing same-sex couples the right to marry enhances our ability to build this kind of environment, which is good for all of us.  

We stand for the freedom to marry because it enhances the economic competitiveness of our communities, improves the lives of families that call our cities home, and is simply the right thing to do.  We look forward to working to build an America where all people can share in the love and commitment of marriage with the person with whom they share their life.

Mayor Ward is a good friend and I am honored to know her.  She realizes that the City of Hampton's future is best served by supporting diversity and full equality of citizens under the civil laws in all their aspects.  Hopefully more mayors in Virginia will see this reality and have the courage to to refuse to continue looking backwards in time.