Tracy Thorne-Begland

Tracy Thorne-Begland (born c. 1967) is a judge on the General District Court of Richmond, Virginia, first appointed in 2012. He is the first openly gay jurist in the state of Virgina, confirmed in the position by both houses of the Virginia General Assemby on Jan. 15, 2013. Thorne-Begland served in a jet combat squadron United States Navy. During the 1992 presidential campaign, he appeared on Nightline to criticize the Navy’s policy of excluding homosexuals, identifying himself as gay, and was honorably discharged.

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Virginia’s first openly gay judge sworn in after being rejected last year

Saturday, March 2, 2013

RICHMOND, Va. -- Tracy Thorne-Begland, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and Deputy Commonwealth's attorney for the city of Richmond, was sworn in Friday as Virginia's first openly gay judge. [ Read more → ]

Gay judge confirmed by Va. General Assembly after being rejected last year

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

RICHMOND, Va. -- The GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday voted to confirm the interim appointment of an openly gay judge to the Richmond General District Court. Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland will remain on the bench after being approved in the House by a margin... [ Read more → ]

Virginia Circuit Court appoints openly gay prosecutor to interim judgeship

Thursday, June 14, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Circuit Court on Thursday appointed openly gay Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland to fill one of several vacancies on the city District Court, just one month after the state’s General Assembly rejected his nomination. [ Read more → ]

Virginia lawmaker: ‘Sodomy is not a civil right’

Thursday, May 17, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Virginia Republican delegate Robert Marshall, who led the efforts to derail the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor, said in an interview on CNN Thursday morning that “sodomy is not a civil right.” Marshall was defending his actions and that of... [ Read more → ]

Virginia GOP lawmakers block judicial nomination over sexual orientation

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

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. [ Read more → ]

‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ — The Ghost Is Slain

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Anti-gay activists have long considered 1993’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" compromise one of their most prized victories. In one fell swoop, they humiliated President Bill Clinton, flexed their political muscle, and put lesbian and gay people in their place. [ Read more → ]

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