Stay and Fight Another Day



A lesbian couple with twins moved out of Virginia, after HB 751 passed in 04, and with the threat of the amendment from hell passing this year. These were longtime friends of mine, and while I disagreed with their action, given the nature of their relationship -having kids they need to protect should anything happen to one of them, I understand why they left.

There have been articles in the Blade (and elsewhere) about gay couples leaving VA in droves, saying that they cannot stand the idea of living here under conservative rule and anti-gay amendments any longer.

I will not be one of those.

I have stayed in VA through thick and thin.

When we moved to Fairfax County in 1985, it was a republican defense contractor hellhole. Herrity was the chairman of the county board, and he was a corrupt greedy republican. While we had Baliles in the governor's mansion, and Robb headed to the Senate, the state was trending heavily conservative.

I contributed to and voted for Mary Sue Terry in 1993, who got trounced by George Allen on rumors of being a lesbian. At the same time, my hometown of Arlington was passing protections for gays and lesbians and electing a gay man to the county board.

I watched aghast as Oliver North ran against Chuck Robb in 1994, and breathed a big sigh of relief when he lost.

I almost cried when Gilmore won in 1997 and Allen took Robb's Senate seat in 2000. The republicans took over the VA Assembly, the idiotic Dillon Rule knocked down partner benefits in Arlington, and I was convinced that it was time to move to California.

2001 brought the beginnings of relief - Mark Warner was narrowly elected governor, and in 2002, a gay man was sent to the statehouse in my district.

Warner remains the most popular politician in VA right now, and will take John Warner's senate seat in 08 (he would crush Tom Davis if he ran) or will take back the governor's mansion in 09 after Kaine (there seems to be an absence of other viable candidates to succeed Kaine right now...). I don't know which I prefer him in - I love Leslie Byrne for either job - but I don't know that VA is ready, though it is finally trending blue.

And the amendment from hell passed. Thank God I live in Arlington, voting 75% against it. Even still, it's hard to stay.

But I must stay. I must stay to educate my fellow Virginians about what they have voted to accept. I must stay to keep voting for progressives, and for moderates who believe in social justice.

THEY (the evil they that bring darkness instead of light to government and the world as a whole), want me to move. They'd prefer a Virginia (a USA, a world) with no gay and lesbian people. A world where our political voice is silenced.

They have won this battle. History will show that Virginia, along with 27 other states, is on the wrong side of history and justice, and we will eventually prevail. It may take decades, but I would never have thought I'd see marriage equality in 2 states - headed towards 4. I would never have thought that Virginia would vote more than 40% AGAINST the amendment (though I did hold out hope that fairness would prevail).

They will not win this war, and I will never, ever give up.
(cross-posted at DailyKOS).

Posted: Wed - November 8, 2006 at 11:40 AM          
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