House endorses bill barring gay marriage

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House endorses bill barring gay marriage

By Pamela Stallsmith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 14, 2006

A state constitutional amendment to effectively outlaw gay marriage in Virginia is on a fast track in the General Assembly.

After 90 minutes of impassioned and often personal debate, the House of Delegates yesterday overwhelmingly endorsed an amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The issue has been pushed nationally by social and religious conservatives.

The House voted 73-22 for the measure, with only one Republican, Del. Harvey B. Morgan of Middlesex, and 21 Democrats dissenting. In a voice vote, delegates gave initial support to the bill, which would allow the question to be put before voters on Nov. 7. The House will take final action Monday.

The measure is expected to be heard Tuesday afternoon by the Senate Privileges and Election Committee.

This is the second year lawmakers have debated the contentious matter, which easily cleared the House and Senate last year. Proposed constitutional amendments must pass two sessions of the assembly, with a statewide election in between.

"Marriage is a legal and moral union between a man and a woman which has the form of reproduction and the attendant responsibilities that ensue therefrom even if the fact of reproduction does not occur," said Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.

"Therefore any claim that two men or two women may marry each other . . . does not make logical sense," he said.

Del. Kathy J. Byron, R-Campbell, said Virginians and not the courts should decide: "If we fail to act now, marriage as we know it today could be redefined by the judicial process."

Opponents contend the wording is ambiguous and could face legal challenges. They charge it could have broad, unintended consequences for all unmarried couples in the areas of advance medical directives, property ownership and domestic-violence protective orders.

Democrats were able to fend off attempts by the Republican leadership to take final action yesterday on the one bill, but the GOP-controlled House defeated a series of floor amendments from Democrats.

The assembly's only openly gay member, Del. Adam P. Ebbin, D-Alexandria, said amending the state's constitution to ban gay unions "takes us backwards.

"I'm gay, but I don't really bring it up right away normally but it seems like since I came here, we talk about it over and over and over again," he said in a heartfelt speech. "And we have laws that outlaw gay marriage . . . and now we want to enshrine it in our most precious document."

Freshman Del. David L. Englin, D-Alexandria, said the amendment "does nothing but send a message -- and that message is if you are gay or lesbian or even a man or a woman living together and committed to each other who are not married, you are not welcome in the commonwealth of Virginia."

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