Virginia Lawmakers Vote Decisively to Defend Marriage

by Jenni Parker
February 9, 2005

(AgapePress) - Pro-family groups are commending the Virginia legislature for its approval of a constitutional amendment to uphold the traditional definition of marriage. The Senate passed a marriage amendment Monday by a vote of 30-10, and yesterday the Virginia House of Delegates also supported the measure in a vote of 78-18.

Tony Perkins

Virginia law already clearly states that only a marriage between a man and a woman is recognized as such; but many defense of marriage advocates have pointed out the need for constitutional amendments to protect against activist judges who might attempt to override the law and impose his or her own ideology in determining how marriage should be defined. Hailing the General Assembly's actions this week, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins notes, "A constitutional amendment will allow the people to decide, not judges."

However, Perkins points out that the process of amending the Virginia constitution is complex. The proposal to amend must be passed by the General Assembly once more in the next legislative session before the state's citizens get the chance to weigh in. The earliest the measure could go to the citizens would be November 2006.

But in the meantime Patricia Phillips, Virginia's state director of Concerned Women for America (CWA), says her organization is pleased to see the "overwhelming support" the Assembly members have shown for the marriage defense measure. She adds that protecting the institution of marriage in the state is worthy of the lawmakers' support, especially "considering the impact it will have on the children and families of our communities."

Phillips' group has been actively involved in lobbying legislators on the marriage issue and participating in discussions on the language to be included in the amendment. The challenge that lies ahead now, she notes, is that of raising public awareness about the measure.

The Virginia CWA director says the February 8 vote signaled the start of "a two-year marathon to educate Virginians about maintaining the integrity of marriage." However, Phillips is confident that most citizens will support traditional marriage, given the opportunity. "Since marriage is a bi-partisan issue," she says, "we expect Virginians to approve the amendment in November 2006 after it passes the General Assembly in the next legislative session."

A Nationwide Challenge to Defend Marriage
According to Michael Bowman, CWA's director of state legislative relations, Virginia recognizes, along with the 13 states that have already passed similar marriage protection measures, that a state constitutional amendment is the most effective way to prevent the homosexual lobby from redefining marriage. He points out that the energy CWA saw devoted to the marriage issue last year has continued to grow throughout the U.S., with several states poised to take up the matter and "with Kansas already slated to vote on a marriage amendment on April 5."

However, marriage defenders cannot expect their efforts to go unopposed in some parts of the country. Besides confronting the homosexual lobby's attempts to promote same-sex marriage and defeat Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) laws and marriage protection amendments, pro-family advocates must also contend with liberal, pro-homosexual support groups and factions that are voicing opposition -- some even from within the Church.

Associated Press reports that more than 70 Christian clergy gathered at a Baltimore church recently to sign a document in support of homosexual civil marriages. The ministers said church leaders who oppose same-sex marriage arrogantly claim to represent all Christians, but they came to offer their signatures as proof that this is not the case.

The ministers lined up to sign a large poster board "Statement on Equal Access to Marriage by Christian Clergy of Maryland." The document expressed alarm at what it termed the "inflammatory, misleading, and discriminatory rhetoric of some Christian ministers who would have their voice be perceived as speaking for all Christians."

Pro-biblical marriage Christians in Virginia, at least, have the support of advocates like CWA, both in the state and beyond. And CWA's Virginia state director believes the effort to educate and motivate citizens in favor of a state marriage amendment will also be successful. Meanwhile, pro-marriage Virginians also appear to have the staunch support of the majority of their legislators.

Bob Knight of CWA's Culture and Family Institute says the pro-family lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly demonstrated this week that they "intend to protect marriage in name, in essence, and in the law." Now, he says, CWA and other pro-family groups are urging leaders in other states to "take similarly bold action" to protect traditional marriage.