Same-Sex Marriage Ban Won’t Be Removed From Virginia Constitution

A wave of frustration swept through the ranks of marriage equality advocates when the Virginia House of Delegates declined a proposed amendment aimed at eliminating the prohibition on same-sex marriage from the state's constitution.

Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriages

Like many other states in America, Virginia has a constitutional amendment on same-sex marriages that defines marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman.” Voters approved this law in 2006.

The same-sex marriage ban is no longer in effect today following the U.S Supreme Court’s decision to legalize marriage equality nationwide but is still written into the state’s constitution.

An amendment that would change this

Last year, a proposed amendment to amend the state constitution to remove this same-sex marriage ban was introduced and approved first in the House (60-33) and then in the Senate (22-12).

House Republicans reject the proposed amendment

But the proposed amendment needed a second vote because the procedure for amending the constitution involves two votes in Virginia General Assembly.

The problem is that the elections have been held between these two voting sessions.

And during the second voting session, House Republicans have overwhelmingly voted to keep the same-sex marriage ban. So the proposed amendment won’t be sent to the 2022 ballot.

Senator Mamie Locke.

“I am highly disappointed, after years of working on this problem, that the Subcommittee chose this route. Let the people vote,” the resolution’s sponsor, Sen. Mamie Locke, said in a statement.

Same-sex marriage ban to remain

The efforts to remove the same-sex marriage ban from Virginia’s constitution have failed. How sad that discrimination against same-sex couples will continue to be enshrined in the state constitution. Hopefully, this issue can still get some revisiting soon!