A Good Day in the Little Blue State

I have met these folks, and the good news is that they were not in the Little Blue State today. A gay rights bill is before the General Assembly for the fifth time in ten years. If passed, the bill will ban discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Over the years, there have been protests and hearings and threats and name-calling. But not today. In a Senate hearing today, only three people spoke against the bill. More than twenty people spoke in favor, including several statewide elected officials. No protesters, no posters, no hate-mongering. Well, maybe a little hate-mongering, but it wasn't very effective.

As soon as the hearing ended, we moved down the hall to the Governor's office where she signed into law a bill that will allow same-sex couples and dating couples to obtain Protection From Abuse Orders in domestic violence cases. It doesn't sound like a cause for celebration, but it is. This new law will save lives.

Tonight when I came home, I ran across this statement from Mildred Loving, who spoke out for marriage equality for same-sex couples on the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court opinion that struck down Virginia's ban on inter-racial marriage.

Here's a picture from the Senate hearing. I'm the one who's Easy to Spot in a Crowd.