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RICHMOND, Va. — GOP lawmakers in the Virginia House of Delegates, led by virulently anti-gay Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William), have blocked the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor.
Tracy Thorne-Begland, a Richmond prosecutor for the past 12 years, had been nominated for an open judgeship, but the nomination was quickly decried by the conservative group The Family Foundation and Marshall, who argued that Thorne-Begland’s sexual orientation would conflict with his ability to hold up the state’s constitution.
Thorne-Begland, who lives with his partner and two adopted children, has been an outspoken advocate of LGBT rights, particularly following his discharge from the U.S. Navy in the early 1990s under the now repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. He has also served as a board member of Equality Virginia, an LGBT advocacy organization.
Thorne-Begland received 33 votes, and 31 delegates voted against him. He needed a majority of the 100-member House — 51 votes — to secure the judgeship. Ten delegates abstained and 26 others did not vote, reported Metro Weekly.
The vote split largely along party lines, with 25 Democrats and eight Republicans, mostly from districts in Fairfax County and the Richmond suburbs, voting for his nomination. All 31 votes against Thorne-Begland came from Republicans, with nine Republicans and one independent abstaining, and 19 more Republicans and seven Democrats not voting.
Thorne-Begland was one of nearly three-dozen nominees, but was the only one rejected after conservative lawmakers.
Marshall, who is running for the U.S. Senate in a primary against George Allen – former governor and former U.S. senator – questioned whether Thorne-Begland could be impartial in upholding Virginia law, including the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, considering his sexual orientation.
In an email statement to LGBTQ Nation on Tuesday, Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish said he was “profoundly disappointed and dismayed that the Virginia General Assembly allowed fear mongering and shrill personal attacks” to derail Thorne-Begland’s election to the bench “simply because he is an out gay man.”
“Contrary to the Family Foundation’s shrill attack, the fact that Mr. Thorne-Begland chose to acknowledge his sexual orientation publicly and accept the consequences (an unwanted discharge from the military) rather than continue to live each day in a lie showed his honesty and integrity and respect for the law,” Parrish wrote.
“Mr. Thorne-Begland should be seen as a hero, like others whose celebrated civil disobedience helped bring change to unjust laws, rather than vilified as a law breaker by those who continue without reason to oppose basic human rights and nondiscrimination laws for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Virginians.
“The fact that the legislature caved in to the Family Foundation’s biased blathering is another unfortunate marker on the forced march to the past on which they seem determined to lead the Commonwealth.”
“It’s hard to think about what happened in the General Assembly and not conclude that it’s a form of bigotry,” said Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring. He said Thorne-Begland’s defeat in the Virginia House of Delegates is an “embarrassment” for the state.
Marshall has made headlines in the past for his controversial, anti-gay views.
Last June, Marshall sent a letter to the Federal Reserve Bank of Virginia alleging that its decision to fly a rainbow flag in honor of LGBT pride month, “undermines the American economy” and claimed it was a class six felony in Virginia.
Repeated requests for a comment from Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell went unanswered.
Filed under: Virginia
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assholes
Bigoted hicks!
jesusfuckingchrist.
WE NEED EQUALITY.
This is the Republican Party of today! Idiots!
That’s why us Dems need to get out and vote! Spread the word.
dick move
moron
@ Avi – exactly!
“Grandpa, grandpa! I just googled your name. What the hell?”
Time for an impeachment!
Marshall looks like the stereotypical stick-up-his-ass ‘Christian’ fundie.
I thought these guys believed only God can judge. Stay clear of this guy’s closet door when it swings open!
Isn’t this illegal, to not get a job based on sexual orientation WTF? These homohobes are dragging this Country back to the 1950′s! Fucking Bigots!
Virginia/Kentucky also known as Communist wealth states
I swear, do we live in the freaking dark ages!?
well at least the republican party is better than a zombie minded democrat
It really angers me that until 2010 Virginia was moving in the right direction.
Ivan Professionalrussian Burns–you’re a troll.
So proud of my state
No, Anna, in most of he US it is still perfectly legal to discriminate based on sexual orientation
@Anna, no, it is still legal to fire people, or in this case not hire someone, based on their sexual orientation.
I am not a Democrat or a Republican, but I am an American and we don’t have to live like this anymore but it’s up to us all to stand up and the more Republicans that “come out” the better, if they are ready it’s absolutely TIME, THEN these idiots will shut up and sit down, party means nothing it’s equal AMERICAN RIGHTS that mean EVERYTHING NOW.
Shame on you, Virginia!
I am embarrassed by my State
numbers game, y’all
The current republican party is a cluster f*uck to the enth degree!!!
It’s amazing what FEAR does to perfectly Stupid people!
Every democrat…every person who values equality MUST vote
god…why is it when my state is in the news, it’s bad?
This is so reprehensible I’m at a rare loss for words.
sad to say it is legal to not hire sumbody or kick them owt of theyr apt just becuz they are gay in several states…i live in idaho an it is totally legal to discriminate agenst us based on sexual orientation
GOP thinks their God.
Guess who is donating to his senate race opponent next year? — ME!
The very definition of a Pyrrhic victory…..This to will pass into the unremembered history of bigotry in America.
Bigotry under GOP in Virginia sooo typical…..we have to kick these fools out of office , their making Virginia look as stupid as NC !
figures
The Republicans can fuck off!
very sad he could not make because knof his sexuality
Marshall sounds like a close-minded nut job.
Tyranny seems to be the norm in America which is not an “American value”.
Amen Vincent, I’m so ashamed to be an Virginian!
Twenty years ago, Thorne-Begland graduated at the top of his class from Navy flight school in Pensacola, Fla. He was assigned to Oceana Naval Air Station near Virginia Beach as a bombardier navigator where he flew A-6 intruder attack planes for three years.
That’s illegal
Those Republicans really know how to espouse Christian values – NOT! Absolutely hateful and should be unconstitutional to exclude a qualified candidate for this reason.
Every day, they (Reps) come up with something to outdo their ignorance. Don’t they get that the civilized world is watching in horror!