WashPost analysis: Both candidates for Virginia’s Governor lack history of gay support
Both Deeds and McDonnell voted to exclude sexual orientation from a list of hate crimes. They voted against recognizing same sex-marriages and for a measure urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment describing marriage as between a man and a woman. Deeds changed his votes on those measures when both were amended in their final versions.
Deeds and McDonnell voted to put on the ballot a state constitutional amendment prohibiting civil unions and same-sex marriage. Deeds said he voted for the amendment because he believed that it codified laws banning same-sex marriage. But he said he came to regret his decision and to believe that the language was discriminatory and said so publicly before the 2006 balloting.
Charley Conrad, president of the Virginia Partisans Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club, which has endorsed Deeds, attributes his views to a rural upbringing and said he trusts that Deeds’s views have changed. “He likes to say he is a work in progress,” he said.
Taken from the Washington Post‘s review of Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell, the Democrat and Republican candidates for Virginia’s next Governor. Virginia has a recent history of voting moderate Democrats into the state’s highest office which is somewhat at odds with the perception that the overall population of the “Old Dominion” holds conservative values and tends to vote for Republicans. (Washington Post)
Bob McDonnell has consistently exhibited his strong dislike of gay rights in favor of conservative “Biblical values.” Whereas, Deeds’ record reflects apprehension to change the status-quo of Virginia’s exclusionary laws towards GLBT equality. So, unfortunately, Deeds’ new-found regrets are coming across as plattitudes to many gays and others who find Deeds is lacking both a sense of conviction and a clear message. McDonnell has held onto a modest lead over Deeds in the polls throughout the campaign, though a recent poll indicated that Deeds may be closing in, possibly to as much as 4 percentage points. The small but densely-populated Virginia suburbs to the west and south of Washington, DC are said to harbor the state’s most politically progressive and gay-friendly populations. (Politico).
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
