HOUSE BILL NO. 751 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia Affirmation of Marriage Act for the Commonwealth of Virginia cites an astonishing prejudicial foundation wholly without statistical merit, and I quote:
“Whereas, because very few homosexuals will ‘marry’ or seek civil unions, the legal effect for homosexual marriage or same sex unions is not primarily about marriage itself, but is directed at weakening the institution of marriage which is foundational to this country’s history and tradition; and where heterosexual marriage requires sexual exclusivity, advocates of same sex unions merely prefer sexual exclusivity, but do not demand it.”
I challenge our legislators and the people who support this outrageous statement to show me its basis in fact. Whom did you poll? How large was the statistical sample? What were the demographics of the audience? What was the margin of error? Which reputable, unbiased research firm concluded this finding?
In their effort to make gays and lesbians feel as unwelcome in Virginia as possible, our legislators are not only denigrating the worth and dignity of individual human beings created by God and endowed with the inalienable human rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, they are also systematically destroying the possibilities for Virginia to excel in the 21st Century. In his writings, Richard Florida talks about The Rise of the Creative Class in the United States. He talks about a new paradigm for academic development that is largely based on the openness and the acceptance of different people and diverse ideas. There is proof of that when you look at places such as San Francisco, New York City and Austin, Texas–places where the innovations and creativity that will be desperately needed for America to retain economic leadership in a globalized economy are found to be thriving.
More and more businesses and the communities that want to attract them understand that the Creative Class is their gateway to the future. When they are sizing up a new company and community, acceptance of diversity and of gays in particular is a sign that reads “welcome.”
And yet Virginia feels no need to take hold of the self-responsible prerequisites of future prosperity. I wonder why? Just how dependent are we willing to be on the military industrial complex and government funding to fuel our local economies? An ironic outcome, wouldn’t you say?
S. Ann Robinson
Ashburn