{"id":77338,"date":"2019-01-18T12:26:09","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T17:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/equality-virginia-hrc-hail-senate-for-passing-non-discrimination-protections-call-on-house-to-act\/"},"modified":"2019-01-18T12:26:09","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T17:26:09","slug":"equality-virginia-hrc-hail-senate-for-passing-non-discrimination-protections-call-on-house-to-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/equality-virginia-hrc-hail-senate-for-passing-non-discrimination-protections-call-on-house-to-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Equality Virginia, HRC Hail Senate for Passing Non-Discrimination Protections, Call on House to Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

Equality Virginia, HRC Hail Senate for Passing Non-Discrimination Protections, Call on House to Act<\/b>
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Today, Equality Virginia and HRC commended the Virginia State Senate for passing legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, while calling on the House of Delegates to prioritize these bills this session. The two bills that passed the Senate, SB 1009 and SB 998 would add these crucial, commensense protections for LGBTQ Virginians in housing and public employment, respectively. Earlier this week, several Republican members of the House of Delegates announced their support for these bills at a press conference, showing bipartisan support for these measures in both chambers. Over the past several elections, Equality Virginia and HRC have successfully elected pro-equality champions at every level of Virginia\u2019s state government.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the fourth year in a row, the Virginia Senate has passed these crucial protections for LGBTQ Virginians with bipartisan support,\u201d said James Parrish, Executive Director for Equality Virginia. \u201cLGBTQ people should be able to work and live<\/a> free from discrimination. Residents of the commonwealth overwhelmingly agree — supporting equality isn\u2019t a Republican or Democratic value — it\u2019s a Virginia value. It\u2019s time for the House of Delegates to finally take up and pass these bills. It\u2019s not controversial, it\u2019s common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are basic non-discrimination protections that LGBTQ Virginians need and deserve, and that will make the commonwealth a more welcoming and inclusive place for all Virginians,\u201d said Marty Rouse, HRC National Field Director. \u201cVoters in Virginia — who continue to elect more and more pro-equality lawmakers — simply have no appetite for discrimination and want to be sure that their friends and neighbors are protected the same way they are. It\u2019s essential for the future of Virginia that pro-equality legislators in the House act on these non-discrimination bills and ensure that these long-overdue protections are passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February of 2018, The Tarrance Group, a Republican polling firm that has done extensive work in Virginia and for national Republican candidates, conducted a poll of \u201cbase\u201d Republican voters, specifically voters who have participated in at least two out of four of the last Republican primaries in the Commonwealth. They found: \u00a0<\/p>\n