Monday, February 18, 2008
Editorial: Inching toward equality
The House of Delegates rejected most improvements for gays, but not all of them.
From the RoundTable blog
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Virginia dealt a tremendous setback to its gay and lesbian citizens a couple of years ago when voters amended the constitution to forbid same-sex marriage. There is a long road to equality now, and lawmakers seem willing to take it only one baby step at a time.
That is better than nothing, but in the meantime, people suffer because a self-appointed moral majority rejects the diversity of human sexuality.
The General Assembly saw a number of bills this session that would have brought gay Virginians closer to equity with their heterosexual neighbors. Under the leadership of Salem's Morgan Griffith, the Republican-controlled House of Delegates killed most of them.
None was particularly bold. They simply would have made life a little better for the commonwealth's gay residents under very specific circumstances.
One bill would have codified Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine's directive that the state not discriminate in hiring based on sexual orientation. House Republicans think that being gay somehow could disqualify someone from working for the state.
Even the prospect of someone else treating gay Virginians respectfully was apparently too much. The House killed bills that would have allowed businesses to extend life insurance policies to same-sex partners and localities to forbid discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation. Neither would have required anything.
And one locality, Fairfax County, asked for permission to add sexual orientation to its local Human Rights Ordinance. A House subcommittee rejected that idea on a motion by Franklin County's Republican Del. Charles Poindexter.
Only two bills remain in play. SB 51 would allow local governments to extend health insurance to same-sex partners of employees. It would have no effect on private business and would be strictly optional. It passed the Senate and awaits House action.
The other one actually made it out of the House. HB 805 would create a medical registry for living wills and advanced medical directives. Anyone could designate a partner as the person to make medical decisions on her behalf. Married couples get that by default, but it will take legislative action to empower gay couples to look out for each other in emergencies.
Both bills deserve passage. Neither is a major change, but each is an incremental improvement.
Last year, the assembly allowed same-sex partners to set up hospital visitation rights. This year those couples might gain a couple of more rights. At this rate, the commonwealth could offer true equality in another 100 years.
