New Virginia Law Alarms Gay Activists

AP ^ | 05/25/2004 | JUSTIN BERGMAN

[Land of the Irish]

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gay activists in Virginia are toying with a new motto for the state: ``Virginia is for lovers. Some restrictions apply.''

Gays and lesbians are angry and even threatening to leave the state over a new law that will prohibit civil unions and could interfere with contracts between same-sex couples.

Some legal experts call it the most restrictive anti-gay law in the nation.

``I won't buy a home in Virginia. I'm done,'' said Bo Shuff, a 30-year-old gay rights activist who has rented in the Washington suburb of Arlington for the past two years.

Edna Johnston, a lesbian who has scuttled plans to move her historic preservation consulting business from Washington to northern Virginia, said: ``It's not a signal, it's a message: `You're not welcome.'''

The new law is an amendment to the state's 1997 Affirmation of Marriage Act, which prohibits gay marriages. The amendment extends that ban to civil unions, partnership contracts and other ``arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage.''

[Militiaman7]

They all can move to Massachusetts.

[JimRed]

``I won't buy a home in Virginia. I'm done,''...

You mean it's THAT easy to get rid of them???

[AppyPappy]

Then what would happen to Homoanoke?

[Vigilanteman]

[Michael.SF.]

LOL

Fluffy?

Which one is Fluffy, blue shirt or striped?

[Jaded]

Yippee!

[Loyalist]

Let them all go to Massachusetts and get "married".

Having them all in one place, and identified in public records, will save much time and effort.

[taxesareforever]

Don't you feel sorry for Virginia? The property values are going to skyrocket now.

[thoughtomator]

Sounds like the most effective anti-sodomy legislation to come around in a while. At least someone in Virginia is being responsible about public health!

[swilhelm73]

This would leave Boston as the homosexual Mecca.

Nah, that would be Provincetown.

[Old Professer]

Anyone else notice how the Yankee press is trying to make this a North/South issue?

[Old Professer]

What if? that is as good as it gets?

[Trillian]

This the only article i've read so far on the subject..
These are the same nuts that have already compared themselves to the civil rights movement. They are so ridiculously ignorant so it is no surprise.

[Redcoat LI]

Which one is Fluffy, blue shirt or striped?

Fluffy is the effeminate one,silly.

[Militiaman7]

Nothing that we couldn't live with and nothing 99.99% would miss.

[Militiaman7]

You coming up to FREEP the rat convention on the 4th and 5th of June?

Freepmail me if you are.

[longtermmemmory]

(s) would Massachusetts then change their name by leaving off the "M"(/s) ok me bad.

[TheCrusader]

"Gays and lesbians are angry and even threatening to leave the state"

I'm sure the good citizens of Virginia will miss them.

[TexasTransplant]

Jeez, it would sure be nice to be represented like the Gay community, 2 wusses make a little noise and the world moves.

I don't know a single soul that thought gay marriage was an issue that needed to be delt with, but just look what we have.

The Right to Life supporters, the Second Amendment supporters have Millions of Concerned Citizens and supporters, and those of us that believe that we are at War for the very survival of Civilization... guess we just don't get it, our priorities are somehow askew, we must be just as dumb as Bush is.

Guess my circle of friends is way too small and close minded for that "Right Wing Media" to peddle to.

[Trillian]

Heh i've been calling it that for months..