Equality Virginia, the leading advocacy organization in Virginia seeking equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Virginians, will host a town hall event about LGBT policy on June 13th to hear from community members about their lived experiences, including experiences of discrimination, as it relates to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In addition, Equality Virginia has created a climate survey to gather input from LGBT Virginians about their experiences in local communities across the Commonwealth. The survey ends on June 9, so be sure to complete soon.
This General Assembly session, nondiscimination protections in housing and public employment passed with support from a supermajority of the Virginia Senate and had the necessary, bipartisan support in the Virginia House of Delegates. Speaker Kirk Cox and other members of leadership blocked this legislation for the first time from getting a hearing in the House, preventing its passage.
“Equality Virginia’s mission is to ensure that all leaders in our Commonwealth support the LGBT community.” said Equality Virginia’s Executive Director James Parrish. “The next two state elections will provide the opportunity for leadership that will prioritize passing legislation that supports LGBT people.” Equality Virginia is hosting these town halls and conducting the climate survey to get community input on policy initiatives critical to LGBT Virginians, such as safe schools, inclusive healthcare, and the repeal of marriage bans.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm in the Flex Meeting Room at the Slover Library. The program will begin at 6:30 pm and include an opportunity for audience participants to speak up and ask questions. Location details can be found in the following link.
