Compass Gender: Virginia Is For (All) Lovers

The Virginia Values Act prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. (Department of Defense)

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed into law new anti-discrimination protections in public employment, housing, and credit for gender identity and sexual orientation on April 11. The Virginia Values Act will go into effect on July 1.

Legislation seeking to protect LGBTQ Virginians had been blocked in previous legislative sessions. Since Democrats took control of both houses of the legislature in 2018, however, several LGBTQ equality bills have successfully passed.

The bill is a landmark step for LGBTQ rights in the state. Virginia is the first southern state to pass non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. LGBTQ people previously lacked legal protections from being fired, evicted, or denied service in public spaces like restaurants or stores because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Virginia was one of five states that did not have any legal protections in public spaces for any protected classes.

“This legislation sends a strong, clear message—Virginia is a place where all people are welcome to live, work, visit, and raise a family,” Northam said in a news release. “We are building an inclusive Commonwealth where there is opportunity for everyone, and everyone is treated fairly. No longer will LGBTQ Virginians have to fear being fired, evicted, or denied service in public places because of who they are.”

A 2019 survey by PRRI found that 72 percent of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, including 64 percent of Virginians. However, with the law’s passage, Virginia becomes just the 21st state to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This law will have a transformative and positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ Virginians and bring Virginia into alignment with its voters,” Vee Lamneck, executive director of Equality Virginia, said in a statement.

The Equality Act, which would codify similar protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level, passed the House of Representatives but is currently stalled in the Senate. President Donald Trump has said he does not support the bill. Without federal support for these protections, state legislative victories are increasingly important for the LGBTQ community.

Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D) said, “It is now the law of the land that every Virginian can work hard, earn a living wage, and live their lives without fear of discrimination based on who they are or who [sic] they love.”