Virginia Republican Governor Wyn Earl Sears took an extraordinary step last year to express her personal objection to a bill that requires constitutional signing to be signed as a Virginia Senator’s Officer.
The bill in question, HB 174, is similar to the Federal Respectful Marriage Act, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022.
It provides that a person authorized to issue a marriage license cannot refuse to issue a license to an otherwise qualified adult couple based solely on the gender, gender, or race of the partner involved.
The measure also expressly states that it is within the scope of the right of a religious organization or clergy member to refuse to marry if he or she places religious objections to the union. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin ultimately signed the bill into law.
But when the bill passed the Senate with a large part of 22-17 party and party vote, only one Republican voter was voted, and Earl Sears decided to handwritten memos expressing his opposition to the bill that it would have to be signed constitutionally.
A copy of the bill was obtained by a political news outlet Virginia scopewhich first reported the actions of the lieutenant governor, seen as a symbolic gesture to basic Republican voters whose political observers may still oppose LGBTQ rights on religious or moral basis.
“As governor, I recognize and respect the constitutional obligations to proceedings set out in the Virginia Constitution,” reads the memo. “However, I continue to be morally opposed to the contents of HB 174 passed at the General Assembly.”
Earl Sears’ views on LGBTQ rights are under scrutiny following internal party controversy involving candidates for Republican lieutenant governor.
Because Youngkin is limited in time, Earl Sears jumps into the governor’s race and is not opposed for the GOP nomination.
Two Republicans were running to fill her current governor position. But at the exit of Fairfax supervisor Pat Herity (R-Springfield), the only candidate left for the race is conservative talk show host John Reed, the gay man.
Last month, Youngkin is said to have acted on the advice of his political advisors, but asked Leid to withdraw after opposition researchers claimed he had found a deleted Tumblr account for the first time since, using the same handle as the one used by Lead, using a handle that reposted sexually explicit images of a nude man.
Reed denies controlling the account in question or reposting pornographic content.
He claimed that since then, some religious conservatives within the Republican Party who have opposed having an LGBTQ person as part of the party’s slate have threatened him and his family, harassed him and his partner, destroying his reputation and trying to drop the race. Reed insisted he would not retreat.
Earle-Sears has not appeared at scheduled gatherings or events with Reid since the controversy was revealed.
She said, “Yes [Reid’s] It is said that race and his decisions will only advance. We all have a race to run. ”
Casey Floressaid he is a former member of Governor Youngkin’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee and founder of the Log Cabin Republican in Richmond. Virginia scope He believes he believes Earl Thirds doesn’t want a gay running mate.
“I don’t think Winsome wanted to run with the gay guy,” Flores told the outlet. “Winsome is not a conservative. She’s like theocratic totalitarianism. She actually cares about what people do in their bedrooms, and I think the Republicans are way too much.”
Earle-Sears spokeswoman Peyton Vogel has provided a statement addressing speculation about the governor’s views on LGBTQ rights.
“The lieutenant governor has answered this question many times, and she has already shown that she will always be the governor of all Virginians,” Vogel said. “She has always been open and honest to the people of Virginia about her values and her unwavering commitment to both respecting and supporting the law.”
Reed told supporters at the campaign rally that he would vote for Earl Thurs when he faced former Democrat Abigail Spanberger in November.
Virginia Democrats attacked Earl Sears’ notes, saying her opposition to getting same-sex couples to marrying is another example of her “dangerous” conservative agenda.
“Virginians deserve governors who fight to protect their rights and freedoms, and that’s not what Crystal Clear Sears does,” Democratic spokesman Maggie Amjad said in a statement.
Her opposition to marriage equality and her efforts to distance herself from Reed both highlight Earl Sears’ personal views on LGBTQ rights.
The outcome of Reid’s controversy, including his decision to stay in the race, shed light on the possibility of a rift within the Republican coalition, and may highlight the impact of a decline in religious conservatives within the party, especially if Republican voters remain unstoppable and Reid wins the general election.
Historically, basic Republican voters have stuck to social issues that oppose LGBTQ rights on moral or religious grounds, but Trump-friendly GOPs may be more libertarian-like in terms of politician personal morals and values.
In recent years, Republican politicians have more choices for social issues to use as “wedge issues” in their political campaigns, rather than being openly hostile to gay and lesbian members of their own party.
The party mainly focuses on anti-LGBTQ political attacks on issues where conservative views are more widely adhered to among the public, such as the ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports, the ban on maintaining gender for minors, or the use of taxpayer funds to cover the costs of care for adult gender violations.
With regard to the fate of perfect marriage equality in the federal Union, the ability of same-sex couples to marry is primarily conditioned on the US Supreme Court, which is set by precedent rather than Earl Sears’ personal view.
With the support of 14 General Assembly Republicans, Virginia Democrats repealed Virginia’s statutory ban on same-sex marriage in 2020 under the government of Ralph Northam, formerly Youngkin’s predecessor.
However, the federal constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, also known as the amendment to Marshall Newman, which was invalidated by a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision, still remains in the book.
If the Supreme Court reverses the 2015 ruling at any time, as demanded by Republicans and Supreme Court justice at some state level, Marshall New Raisement will take effect immediately, and will drive same-sex couples out of state if they want to marry.
While the marriage law still requires Virginia officials to recognize the effectiveness of out-of-state marriages, individual county or city clerks or government officials can throw temporary hurdles for same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals.
Lawmakers at the Democratic General Assembly have approved two separate bills that seek to abolish the ban. One was passed in 2021 and the other in 2025.
However, the amendments to the Virginia Constitution require lawmakers to cast two votes for the bill in the exact same language in two separate sessions.
Republicans controlled the House (and governor and other statewide offices) after the 2021 election, conservatives blocked their second vote. The first attempt failed.
To completely eliminate the ban on same-sex marriage, lawmakers must vote for the same-sexual marriage as the bill passed earlier this year at the 2026 legislative meeting. And even afterwards, the issue will appear in the 2026 midterm elections vote and must be approved by the majority of Virginia voters.
Earl Sears as governor cannot reject the proposed constitutional amendment, but she has been able to use both her political influence within the party and call out a network of socially conservative activists, such as the Family Foundation, to derail the amendment.
Earl Thurs, for example, could pressure General Assembly Republicans to refuse a vote to abolish Marshall Newman. This could affect the margin of victory in the Amendment under the Democratic-controlled House or Senate, or even lead to legislative defeat if the Republic gains control of either chamber.
Alternatively, Earl Sears could allow the issue to go to vote in 2026, but could use her bully pulpit and her position to urge voters to reject the proposed abolition of Marshall Newman’s amendment.
It is unclear exactly how Earl Thurs will react if she is elected governor, so Democrats argued that not only should anyone who supports marriage equality elect Democrats to their statewide offices, but also should vote for Democratic candidates in 2026 to ensure political parties maintain control of both legislative rooms and pave the way for efforts to abolition.
LGBTQ supporters argue that polls will allow at least several Republicans to marry same-sex couples, and that certain Republican candidates running for the General Assembly, as well as party legislative leaders, are likely to oppose same-sex marriage and thwart the expansion of LGBTQ rights.
Naturally, achieving full marriage equality in the Commonwealth could remain a difficult battle in the near future, due to the technical nature of amending the Virginia Constitution and the reluctance of most elected Republicans to make concessions on the matter.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
