VA Gov. Bob McDonnell Takes Away "Special Rights" from Gays
New Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) is winning over new fans after a long pro-family draught in the Commonwealth. Setting himself even farther apart from liberal predecessor Tim Kaine, Gov. McDonnell is shaking things up in the state, starting with a decision to strip special rights for homosexuals under Virginia's anti-discrimination policy.
To the dismay of groups like the Human Rights Campaign, the Governor righted a wrong in the state's policy by specifically removing "sexual orientation" from the list of protected classes in the workforce.
During his campaign, Gov. McDonnell said that Democrats had overstepped their bounds by including it in their previous executive orders. He made good on the promise by eliminating the niche for Virginia's LGBT crowd on February 10.
In other good news, word leaked out last month that the Defense Department was considering a major policy change to its teacher program that would have made yet another dent in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
The DOD's Education Activity branch tried to institute a policy that domestic partners would be treated like married couples when they applied for joint transfers. Essentially, they wouldn't be separated when the job moved them to new school districts. On Friday, officials squashed the idea, releasing a statement that federal benefits have to be consistent with "federal laws"--a fact that seems completely lost on our President.
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
OV Social
Ethnic minorities , women , and gay and lesbian persons would not need "special protection" if all people were treated equally, as they were created. But since there are less enlightened people still in existence and creating fear based groups such as the FRC, we need to keep these "special rights" on the books. Maybe when ignorance becomes obsolete, we can go back to "all men are created equal" and have it be true in practice without "special laws " in place for stupid people.
This is why I'm glad I live in Canada and in particular, Newfoundland. That sort of KKK bigotry would never be tolerated up here, and it shouldn't be tolerated down there. I call on Virginians to take to the streets and DEMAND that equal rights be protected on ALL grounds. Sad to say, but the Dixie states are all stuck back in the 1950's when it comes to equality.
That it has to be proven someone has a sexual orientation that someone else finds not likable? That there is no protection from "they LOOK gay so..."
It just means that sexual orientation, actual or assumed, can't be a part of why you fire someone.
In June 2009, Obama signed an Executive Memorandum (EM) extending some rights to domestic partners of US federal government employees. Some benefits could not be extended such as health care benefits and inheritance benefits due to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The State Department changed many of its Dept of State Standard Regulations (DSSRs) reflecting the EM. Sadly, the Department of Defense, has not acted upon the EM in recognizing domestic partners because they are not clear of the definintion of 'domestic partners'. This comes directly from my US Army governing personnel office. I would do some further investigation into the EM and how the DOD is circumventing the EM.
What everyone seems to be missing is that the governor has removed protection from straight people as well as glbt persons.I can't wait to hear the cries of "unfair" from a straight person who is fired because of their sexual orientation.
Someone is fired ONLY because of their sexual orientation, that's ridiculous and stupid for the company who did it. If they got rid of someone who could do the job better and replaced them with an idiot they'll pay dividends.
People do strange things for stupid reasons all the time... look at the discrimination against ethnic minorities and women we see in the world around us today (and historically).
won't be an overnight change but if you keep drawing attention to the differences they perpetuate.
Because racial discrimination has remained steady since we started talking about it?