Equality Virginia agrees with Governor Spanberger’s decision to veto HB 483 and SB 271. Lowering drug costs and protecting access to essential medications should not be treated as competing goals. Both are possible, but not under the version of the bill the General Assembly sent back to the Governor’s desk for her final consideration.
Paid family and medical leave recognizes the realities of modern families across the Commonwealth, including Virginia’s LGBTQ+ families who too often face barriers to economic security and caregiving support.
“While we are grateful for the meaningful updates to the Virginia Human Rights Act, the failure to include a sovereign immunity waiver is a punch in the gut to LGBTQ+ Virginians,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman.
As leaders of state-based equality organizations from across the country, we stand together in solidarity with and support for the people of Kansas following the passage of SB 244, a dangerous and discriminatory law targeting the rights of transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender diverse Kansans. Our hearts are with you.
Dear Governor Spanberger, We are writing to express our strong support for HB 60, which prohibits discrimination based on PrEP use, blindness or partial blindness, mental or physical impairments, and domestic violence victim status in the issuance and pricing of life, accident, and sickness insurance. On behalf of Equality Federation and Equality Virginia, we urge you to sign HB 60, we believe that this legislation is a crucial step towards ensuring that all Virginians have access to the healthcare they need, regardless of their health status.
“We are pleased that the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate recognize the urgent need to restore funding to Virginia’s community-based organizations that provide Ryan White services to people living with HIV,” said Narissa Rahaman, Executive Director of Equality Virginia.
Originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on February 18, 2026 Virginia’s HIV Safety Net is Fraying. Lawmakers Must Act. Karen Legato Executive Director, Health Brigade
This June will mark eight years since the U.S. Supreme Court declared marriage equality to be the law of the land, but Virginia still has a ban on same-sex marriage in its constitution.
In the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, the court found that the right to marry must be extended to couples of the same sex, and since then,
