Month: June 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 26, 2015

Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, [email protected]; 804-643-4816

In response to the June 26 Supreme Court ruling that under the Fourteenth Amendment states are required to issue marriage licenses between two people of the same sex, the following statement can be attributed to James Parrish, executive director, Equality Virginia:

“Finally the law of the land reflects the beliefs and values held by the American people. Thousands of dedicated and passionate people fought for decades to ensure that loving lesbian and gay couples have the freedom to marry the person they love, many of whom are no longer here to see the fruits of their labor.  America will celebrate this day for a long time to come – the second anniversary of the United States v. Windsor, the twelfth anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas, and now in 2015, the day it was decided that we all have the freedom to marry the person we love in any state we call home.

With this decision, we no longer have two Americas when it comes to relationship recognition.  But, our work is far from over.  I sincerely hope that this historic step toward equality will increase the momentum and support in Virginia and other states for ending discrimination against gay and transgender people in employment, housing, and public accommodations.  We cannot stop until the day comes when nobody faces discrimination and when all people are accepted – and celebrated – for everything they are.

America is finally on the right side of history when it comes to marriage.  Love won.  Let’s use this love to build true and lasting equality for all. “

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Equality Virginia is the leading statewide, non-partisan education, outreach, and advocacy organization seeking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Virginians. Since 1989, EV has worked to end discrimination, protect families and build safe communities.  More information is online at EqualityVirginia.org. Connect on Facebook.com/EqualityVA or Twitter @EqualityVA

 

By Kyle Poulin

“The Court, in this decision, holds same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry in all States. It follows that the Court also must hold—and it now does hold—that there is no lawful basis for a State to refuse to recognize a lawful same-sex marriage performed in another State on the ground of its same-sex character.”

In the hearts of many lesbian and gay couples, we have long been committed to each other, but now the United States has shown it is finally committed to our love. The nationwide recognition of marriage equality will redefine the present and future LGBT experience in America. Same-sex couples can now constitutionally share their commitment to each other and the world. These couples and families can plan their dream wedding without the bitter sting of legality tarnishing their big day. Children of these families will be brought up with the equal protection they deserve.

With this victory, we not only celebrate marriage equality and everything it means to us, we bolster our case for equality and protection in other parts of the everyday lives of gay and transgender people: ending discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and housing; making schools safe and inclusive for all students, faculty and staff; and increasing access to healthcare.

As we rejoice with the plaintiff couples, on this day we must  thank Massachusetts for being the first to let love win, lighting the torch for other states to carry. We must also thank the many couples who sought marriage and equality in this country without success. Their bravery in standing up and out for what they wanted and believed in was necessary for getting the country where we are today. Their efforts have done for marriage equality what marriage equality must do for the remaining inequalities against gay and transgender Americans.

For instance, gay and transgender people can be turned away from a place of business in 28 states – including Virginia.  This must change.  A business that is open to one must be open to all. Discrimination is also something we face in housing.  In research conducted by Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, same-sex couples received differential treatment 31% of the time when seeking rental housing. Nationally, 1 in 5 transgender people have been refused a home or apartment. And, while most Virginians think it is illegal to fire or not hire somebody because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, sadly this is not the case. Virginia does not have protections for gay or transgender employees. Even though a majority of Fortune 500 companies have policies in place to protect their workers on basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, this does not protect all LGBT workers in the 31 states without non-discrimination laws.

We also face discrimination in our schools. While marriage is a milestone for many gay and lesbian adults, many of our LGBTQ youth do not feel safe at school. Nearly 70 percent of students in Virginia schools have experienced verbal harassment based on their sexual orientation and 40 percent have based on their gender expression. When a student feels harassed and they report it to a teacher or administrator, the expectation of action and resolution often falls short. Out of the 59 percent of students who report verbal or physical harassment, only 26 percent said their report resulted in effective intervention. We have a responsibility to protect our youth and provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for them.

What about healthcare?  Gay and transgender – especially transgender – individuals in Virginia and throughout the country still face too many challenges in accessing affordable, inclusive, and high quality healthcare.  We must ensure that nobody is denied equal access to healthcare because of who they are.

All of these truths are self-evident to us as members of a community plagued with inequality, which is why we cannot stop now. This is time for celebration.  And, we must use this historic and monumental moment to revitalize our advocacy efforts.  We must all make a vow to rally against these remaining roadblocks on the path to LGBT equality in Virginia for all members of our community. Love won…equality and fairness for all must come next.

Stay involved and help make history!  sign up for EV emails, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or donate to help us bring equality to all Virginians!

By Kyle Poulin

Pride month comes with a certain amount of history and gravitas. The trials of violence and adrenaline endured by members and allies of the LGBT community in 1969 during the Stonewall Riots changed the landscape of LGBT equality in America, and gave us a month to be proud of. Just one year later people marched the streets of New York City in the world’s first Pride parade on June 28, 1970.

Equality Virginia supports Pride in Virginia in many forms, from Pride festivals to LGBT positive initiatives and conferences. We believe in harnessing progress and pushing it further, examining the inequalities remaining and defeating them. Learn more about current and upcoming ways we are working to get you equality in Virginia and make you Virginia Proud.

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Check out Equality Means Business, our multi-state campaign to highlight businesses that support the LGBT community through pledging non-discrimination for employees, customers, and clients. Through Equality Means Business, you can choose to spend your money at businesses that have actively aligned themselves against LGBT discrimination. Ask your favorite business to join! Visit our website and business directory at: https://virginiafairness.org/equality-means-business-2/

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LGBT-affirming faith communities are encouraged to contact us about our Coffee Talk program for bringing communities together to explore transgender journeys through open and candid dialogue. A simple set of guidelines frames each conversational Coffee Talk group. For more information see our website: https://www.equalityvirginia.org/transgender/coffee-talks/

 

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Do you ever wish you had a platform to talk about an injustice or a slight against you or another? Use Equality VA’s Tell It program to let us know. Equality VA has also partnered with the online idea sharing platform Our Tomorrow as a way for Virginians to be represented in the continuing conversation of hopes and fears for the LGBT community. Our Tomorrow is partnered with over 100 of the United States’ top LGBT and equality organizations and their goal is to create a patchwork narrative for our community. Submit your story to Tell It at https://www.equalityvirginia.org/take-action/tell-it/ or join the ranks of Our Tomorrow at https://bit.ly/ourtomorrow151

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Registration is now open for our Virginia Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit (TIES) to be held on October 10, 2015. The summit will consist of speakers, panels, and information sessions for many facets of the transgender community. In addition to being informative, the summit creates a valuable networking opportunity for making friends and seeing old ones with last year’s attendance at over 200. For more information and registration, go to: https://www.equalityvirginia.org/transgender/summit/

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June kicks off the Prides of Virginia that don’t stop until October. Use our Pride 2015 resource so see when and where all of these great events will be taking place so you can come by and see us at each one! We always need volunteers! For more information, please visit: https://equalityvirginia.org/pride

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 11, 2015
Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, [email protected]; 804-643-4816

In response to the lawsuit filed on June 11  by the ACLU and ACLU of Virginia against the Gloucester County School Board for adopting a discriminatory bathroom policy, the following statement can be attributed to James Parrish, executive director, Equality Virginia:

“Transgender students have the same needs as other students, and they must be given the same opportunity to succeed.  The job of our schools is to create an atmosphere of tolerance and respect, and part of that is ensuring that no child is stigmatized or treated differently because of who they are.  Affirming children for who they are is simply the right thing to do, and rejecting a child’s deeply held sense of who they are can have very serious consequences.  It is sad that this is even a debate.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 2, 2015

Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, [email protected]; 804-643-4816

RICHMOND – On Tuesday evening at a reception held at the Governor’s Mansion, Governor Terry McAuliffe proclaimed June 2015 as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride month.   The proclamation, presented to Equality Virginia, reads that the Commonwealth of Virginia celebrates its diverse LGBT community and is dedicated to fostering acceptance and preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We have a good friend in Governor McAuliffe,” said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.  “As we focus on creating a Virginia where gay and transgender people can live, work, play, and do business without the fear of facing discrimination, we are grateful to have the Governor’s participation and outspoken support.”

Governor McAuliffe has spoken at a number of Equality Virginia events over the last few months, including the Virginia Fairness Reception where the organization honored  Fortune 500 Companies based in Richmond that have policies in place to protect gay and transgender employees.  He has been a long-time supporter of the freedom to marry, and his first executive order protects gay and transgender state employees from workplace discrimination.

“Making this Commonwealth more open and welcoming to all is an essential part of my effort to build a new Virginia economy. I am proud of the progress we have made together on ending workplace discrimination, embracing the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage and finally allowing same-sex couples to adopt. I look forward to continuing to work with my friends in the LGBT community to advocate for polices that make Virginia more open and equal to everyone,” said Governor McAuliffe.

This is the second year in a row that Governor McAuliffe has declared June LGBT Pride Month.

“Virginia is moving in the right direction, but even as we celebrate successes, there is a lot more work to do before the commonwealth is truly welcoming to gay and transgender individuals and families.    As we continue to change hearts, minds, and laws, we are thankful to have the full support of Governor Terry McAuliffe,” said Parrish.

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This June marks the 45^th anniversary of the first pride parade in NYC, and in turn, the 46^th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Those milestones in LGBT history helped define a community that isn’t afraid to take action. Harness that spirit and celebrate it at pride festivals this summer! Get involved and enjoy your community — your attendance and participation make it great for everyone.

Click here to find a Pride near you and see where you can find the EV team this summer.

While we await the Supreme Court’s verdict on nation-wide marriage equality near the end of this month, we continue rallying for workplace fairness and basic protections for LGBT individuals and families. Virginia has never been closer to achieving equality, and we’re proud of that! Come out to Virginia’s pride festivals, meet members of Equality Virginia, and learn what you can do to help.

Virginia’s pride season starts in June and continues through October, with festivals statewide. Check out more than one and explore the beauty of the Old Dominion.

Find a pride event in your community!

Want to get more involved with Pride in Virginia?

Volunteer with us!
We can always use a few smiling faces – join us at the EV table for a few hours at a Pride near you! If you are interested in volunteering, let us know what pride you will be going to by sending an email to[email protected]. We will get back to you to work out the final details! Volunteers will receive a free Equality Virginia t-shirt.

Donate!  
We’ve got a small staff and a tight budget but it’s important to us to travel to various prides across the commonwealth and learn about what’s happening in your community.  Help us stock up and staff up for Prides, give $10 today!

Equality Virginia is excited to see your pride this summer!

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 2, 2015

Contact: Kirsten Bokenkamp, [email protected]; 804-643-4816

RICHMOND – On Tuesday evening at a reception held at the Governor’s Mansion, Governor Terry McAuliffe proclaimed June 2015 as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride month.   The proclamation, presented to Equality Virginia, reads that the Commonwealth of Virginia celebrates its diverse LGBT community and is dedicated to fostering acceptance and preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We have a good friend in Governor McAuliffe,” said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia.  “As we focus on creating a Virginia where gay and transgender people can live, work, play, and do business without the fear of facing discrimination, we are grateful to have the Governor’s participation and outspoken support.”

Governor McAuliffe has spoken at a number of Equality Virginia events over the last few months, including the Virginia Fairness Reception where the organization honored  Fortune 500 Companies based in Richmond that have policies in place to protect gay and transgender employees.  He has been a long-time supporter of the freedom to marry, and his first executive order protects gay and transgender state employees from workplace discrimination.

“Making this Commonwealth more open and welcoming to all is an essential part of my effort to build a new Virginia economy. I am proud of the progress we have made together on ending workplace discrimination, embracing the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage and finally allowing same-sex couples to adopt. I look forward to continuing to work with my friends in the LGBT community to advocate for polices that make Virginia more open and equal to everyone,” said Governor McAuliffe.

This is the second year in a row that Governor McAuliffe has declared June LGBT Pride Month.

“Virginia is moving in the right direction, but even as we celebrate successes, there is a lot more work to do before the commonwealth is truly welcoming to gay and transgender individuals and families.    As we continue to change hearts, minds, and laws, we are thankful to have the full support of Governor Terry McAuliffe,” said Parrish.

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