Virginia advances new bill that allows government employees to refuse same-sex marriages
The state of Virginia has advanced a bill that allows taxpayer funded agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples if they hold religious or moral convictions.
House Bill 2025 is being pushed by Delegate Nicholas Freitas and is heading into the full House of Delegates.
According to Gay Star News, the bill states that “No person shall be required to participate in the solemnisation of any marriage.”
It also states that people who do discriminate will not be subjected to “any penalty” if they are seen to be acting in accordance with their religious beliefs.
In short, the bill will allow people to discriminate against same-sex couples wanting to marry.
The bill comes after Virginia’s own version of the controversial HB2 was stopped.
Introduced by Bob Marshall, the HB2 bill would have banned individuals from using a bathroom corresponding to any gender other than that displayed on their birth certificate.
The bill was killed by Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe who earlier signed a pro-LGBT executive order which bans state contracts with firms that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
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