Liberty Counsel: New VA LGBTQ Bill Would Mean Baptist Schools Can't Fire Cross-Dressing Teachers

CBN.com ^ | January 30, 2020 | Deborah Bunting

[Perseverando]

A bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Virginia's nondiscrimination law cleared committees in the House of Delegates and Senate this week and appears to be on its way to becoming law in the Old Dominion.

A version of the bill known as the Virginia Values Act was shepherded through the Senate committee by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria). In the House, it was sponsored by Mark Sickles (D-Franconia), where it passed by a 16-6 vote, with all Democrats and three Republicans voting in favor.

The mood among activists was celebratory.

Democrats hold a 55-45 majority in the House of Delegates, and a 21 to 19 majority in the Senate.

Vee Lamneck, the executive director of Equality Virginia, an LGBTQ advocacy group, told MetroWeekly, "We're confident lawmakers will quickly pass this legislation to protect LGBTQ Virginians."

CBN News contacted attorneys with two religious liberty law groups – Greg Baylor, senior counsel of the Alliance Defending Freedom's Center for Legislative Advocacy, and Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel – to find out what impact this law may have on religious organizations.

"Every Virginian deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," Baylor told us in a statement. "Unfortunately, laws that elevate sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes have a proven record of undermining both fairness and freedom for all citizens."

Baylor explained, "In states and local communities across the nation, laws similar to the proposals advancing in Virginia have empowered the government to force people who willingly serve everyone to promote messages and participate in events that violate their faith or convictions."

Like Baylor, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel was unequivocal that the Virginia Values Act in its current form will have a direct impact on churches and religious organizations.

[Carry me back]

No every Virginian doesn’t. That’s a decision that individuals should make for themselves. Not the govt making it for them.

[Carry me back]

Maybe this insanity will help to eventually, as people get tired of it. To roll back a lot of the civil rights over each that has plagued this country for years. As free individuals we should be able to make decisions for ourselves and the country would be better served by it. Not the govt playing nanny state.

[Stravinsky]

So the libertarian-leaning, conservative part of your bio is pure fiction?

Look, it’s one thing to say that the government shouldn’t discriminate unfairly. It’s quite another to say that the government should force business, individuals, and churches to submit to a certain belief system and operate the way it wants which effectively is exactly what these “non-discrimination” laws do. Not cool.