A local LGBTQ+ advocacy group has joined a statewide coalition seeking to pass one of three Virginia constitutional amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Equality Arlington is now part of the Virginians for Marriage Equality Coalition, working to support an amendment that would enshrine same-sex marriage in the Virginia Constitution.
“We must remove the stain on Virginia’s Constitution from the same-sex marriage ban enacted 20 years ago,” said Kellen Macbeth, president of Equality Arlington.
“The government should not be placing restrictions on who we love,” Macbeth said. “It’s time for our constitution to reflect that reality.”
As part of its advocacy efforts, Equality Arlington will be joining with the Arlington NAACP to host a “Rally for Marriage Equality” on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at Courthouse Plaza. The event will provide Arlington couples the chance to discuss the importance of the marriage-equality amendment to their lives.
In 2006, Virginia voters by a 57% majority passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Arlington was one of a handful of localities to vote against the measure. With 74% of county residents opposing it on Election Day, Arlington was behind only Charlottesville (77%) in its opposition.
In 2014, a series of federal court decisions invalidated the amendment. A year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it and other bans on same-sex marriage across the United States were unconstitutional.
Though invalidated, the 2006 state constitutional amendment remains in the Virginia Constitution, and potentially could be reactivated if federal courts shift their stance on the issue.
The amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot would supplant the 2006 amendment.
The marriage-equality amendment is one of three state constitutional amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot. The other two focus on abortion/reproductive rights and the restoration of voting rights.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee supports all three measures, while the Arlington County Republican Committee opposes all three.
