Gay Virginia Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) gave a farewell speech on the Senate floor in Richmond on February 16, following his decision to resign from the Senate to become a senior adviser to Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
Ebbin, whose resignation was scheduled to take effect on February 18, received a standing ovation from his fellow senators. Several of them spoke after Evin’s speech, praising his accomplishments as a Virginia state senator from 2012 to 2026.
Evin was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2003 as the first openly gay member of the General Assembly. He served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012 and was elected to the Senate in 2011.
His Senate district includes Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve in this body,” Evin said in his farewell address. “Representing Northern Virginia in the General Assembly, my adopted home since 1989, is a responsibility I have never taken lightly,” he said.
“We are a 406-year-old organization,” he told his fellow senators. “But when I arrived, I had the distinct honor of being ‘first’ in the General Assembly,” he said. “Being an openly gay elected official 22 years ago didn’t mean I got a book deal or a talk show appearance. I just sat across the hall from a very small minority.”
Evin added: “Still, going out felt both deeply personal and unavoidably public. I was proud, but also very aware that just being here carried a responsibility greater than myself.”
Ebbin is credited with playing a leading role in advocating for LGBTQ rights in Congress and speaking out against anti-LGBTQ proposals that surfaced during her time in Congress.
In his speech, he also pointed to other issues he has championed as a lawmaker. This includes legislation to strengthen education programs, expand access to health care, protect the environment, and “stand up for working people.”
Among the LGBTQ rights laws he promoted and mentioned in his speech was the Virginia Values Act of 2020, which prohibits discrimination based on things like sexual orientation and gender identity.
“I am especially proud of our work in ensuring that Virginia’s state laws are modernized to protect LGBT people from discrimination in everyday life, including employment, housing, and public accommodations,” he said in his speech. “The Virginia Values Act of 2020 is my proudest accomplishment, establishing new protections for all Virginians,” he said.
“This law is the first of its kind in the South and was passed with strong bipartisan support,” he said. “And after 20 years, this November, Virginians will finally be able to vote on the Marriage Equality Amendment, which protects their right to marry the person they love. It’s time for our state constitution to accurately reflect the law of the land.”
He was referring to an amendment to the state constitution approved by the General Assembly to repeal the amendment approved by lawmakers and voters in 2006 that banned same-sex marriage.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision legalized same-sex marriage nationwide and invalidated Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. But Ebbin and other LGBTQ rights advocates called on the General Assembly to take steps to rescind the amendment in case the Supreme Court changes its ruling on the issue.
In his new role in the Spanberger administration, Mr. Evin will serve as senior advisor to the Virginia Marijuana Control Board, which regulates policies regarding marijuana possession and distribution.
Evin was one of the lead sponsors of a 2020 bill to decriminalize possession of marijuana and a pending bill to legalize possession.
“When I first joined the General Assembly, I saw too many people’s lives turned upside down, jobs lost, futures delayed, and families harmed by a simple marijuana charge,” he said in a speech. “And for too long, that harm has been built into our laws. That’s no longer the case. Times have changed, and so have our laws.”
Evin also said he is proud to have played a role in the changes in Virginia that will allow LGBTQ Virginians to serve “openly, authentically and unapologetically” at all levels of state government.
“I swore to myself that I would not quit until there was at least one more lesbian or gay member of the General Assembly,” Evin said in a speech. “But when I retire, I will be proud to convene an eight-member LGBTQ caucus.”
He added, “And if someone on the other side of the aisle wants to come out, they’re welcome. We’re still waiting for the first openly gay Republican.”
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
