The decision of the Federal Reserve Bank of Virginia on Wednesday to fly a gay pride flag in honor of LGBT pride month, has drawn criticism from conservative groups, and at least one state lawmaker who said flying the flag is a crime.
Prince William County delegate Robert Marshall, a conservative Republican member of the Virginia State General Assembly, sent a letter to the bank, warning that its display of the rainbow pride flag is a class six felony.
According to Marshall, the homosexual behavior “celebrated” by the bank flying a gay pride flag “undermines the American economy” and is a class six felony in Virginia.
Marshall was referring to the state’s “Crimes Against Nature” statue which reads in part:
§ 18.2-361. Crimes against nature; penalty.
A. If any person carnally knows in any manner any brute animal, or carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth, or voluntarily submits to such carnal knowledge, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, except as provided in subsection B.
“The Richmond Fed’s endorsement of costly, anti-social, immoral behavior is rejected by 6,000 years of Western Religious and moral teaching,” wrote Marshall, reported the The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The flag is being flown at the request of PRISM, a Richmond Federal Reserve employee group representing LGBT employees and allies.
“We are flying the pride flag as an example of our commitment to the values of acceptance and inclusion,” said Sally Green, the bank’s first vice president and chief operating officer.
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Bullsh*t
I think these flags should be everywhere
not according to the US Supreme Court….
not my conservative group
And the Confederate flag shouldn’t?
Well i’m not surprised…it is Virginia…c’mon now…it’s almost as bad as FL where they still have KKK meetings in the “forest”…not everyone is over themselves yet in this country!
Well too bad its not a felony for VA “lawmakers” to pass retroactive laws to take peoples civil rights away.
This is considered Dehumanization.
OMG! Really, Ppl get the feck over it. It is what it is. We can do waht we want within the laws this ir our fecking country as well. And dont these ppl know that gay life was way back before America even started??? WTF! It all pisses me off. Get a damn life everyone!
Fuck them!!
This is all so stupid. They will soon come to realize that they cant keep the gays away. No matter what. Keep fighting because it will be worth it!
What!? That is so stupid! How is that a felony?!
Federal Reserve = Private company with a gov’t contract. No felony here.
A felony? Really?? Ugh! Canada is lookin better and better every day
What?! That is ridiculous, u people just love to make it harder for LGBT’s dont you!
Oh for the love of…. Really?
REALLY?
I think the fact that some states still had a ban on inter-racial marriage until 2000 shows that some laws are just plain stupid.
Get over yourself Robert Marshall
FUCK EM ALLLLLL LGBTQ ALL THE WAY
canada does look better everyday…honestly i’m sick of this country and the ppl in it!
Remember that this is the same Bob Marshall who wanted Virginia to start minting its own currency.
This goes to show you how america is fucking up! How and the hellokitty is this a felony?!
America is becoming more and more dumb by the day!
ABOLISH THE FED!
Not being a homophobic asshole is a crime! Oh dear!
I know some LBG couples who have never broken that law; I also know some straight couples who would have broken that law if they lived in Virginia. That law, in and of itself, is not a trend of behavior between couples of any sexual orientation
Therefore, your argument is invalid.
Thank you Lawrence v. Texas for invalidating laws like the one contained in virginia’s crimes against nature statute.
Ugh. Converative groups need to get over it, get a life and move on!
Um, the part of that statute that says, “or carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth,” was stricken by the Supreme Court in 2002′s decision that reversed all sodomy laws in the USA.
Maybe a better use of lawmakers’ time would be making it a felony for them to post their “junk” shots on twitter! Or is it tweiner?
That silly and primitive Virginia law was struck down, along with similar laws in other states, as unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in 2003 in ‘Lawrence vs. Texas’.
The Federal Reserve has been sticking the American People up the back side so long, they have decided to adopt this flag as emblematic of their mission.
Marshall was not suggesting flying the flag is a Class 6 felony. The article in the Times Dispatch makes it clear the Delegate was referring to Sodomy. Marhall is a real piece of work, but there’s no need to mischaracterize his position.
Please, Mr. Marshall, go fornicate yourself!
lol, if oral sex is a class 6 felony, a shitload of americans should be in jail.