Marriage Equality
If we are truly a Country that guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, then we should also guarantee that a person is free to love and enter into marriage with whomever they choose.
“Although federal protections ensure same-sex marriage remains, Virginia’s Constitution still includes a prohibition against such unions. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal abortion protections, Democratic lawmakers are emphasizing the need to amend the state Constitution to safeguard these marriage rights. They argue that without this change, Virginians’ marriage law could be at risk if the Supreme Court reverses its stance on same sex marriage — a possibility Justice Clarence Thomas has expressed interest in doing (Woods, 2025).”
I agree with the viewpoint above from Charlotte Woods with the Virginia Mercury and I fully support the passing of SJ249, which is listed below.
SJ249 Constitutional amendment; marriage between two adult persons:
“The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons (Legislative Information System, 2025).”
Governor Youngkin signed into law HB174 that was passed by the General Assembly this year that protects Marriage Equality should the Federal protection through the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision be reversed. The next step is to amend the Virginia Constitution with SJ249 to repeal the language in the 2006 amendment, which states that marriage is between “one man and one woman.”
References:Woods, C. R. (2025, January 15). Historic push for constitutional protections in Virginia gains momentum • Virginia Mercury. Virginia Mercury. https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/14/historic-push-for-constitutional-protections-in-virginia-gains-momentum/
SJ249 Constitutional amendment; marriage between two adult persons. Legislative Information System. (2025). https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SJ249#:~:text=The%20amendment%20prohibits%20the%20Commonwealth,or%20race%20of%20such%20persons.