Friday, Oct. 10—Equality Arlington issued the following statement today is response to anti-LGBTQ remarks by GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome-Sears in a debate last night:
“Equality Arlington is alarmed and outraged by Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears’ anti-LGBTQ+ remarks during the gubernatorial debate with Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger last night. Earle-Sears declared that firing workers for being gay and denying a marriage license to a same-sex couple do not constitute discrimination. We are also appalled by her continued attacks on the very existence of transgender individuals in our commonwealth.
The Virginia Human Rights Act outlaws discrimination in employment, public accommodation, and education based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, military status, or disability. We are deeply concerned that, if elected governor, Earle-Sears will instruct Virginia agencies to disregard non-discrimination laws and protections for people who she does not believe deserve them.
Lt. Governor Earle-Sears’ disdain for the LGBTQ+ community demonstrates a callousness for human dignity and disrespect for the values that Virginia residents have enshrined in law. We call on the Lt. Governor and all candidates running for state-wide office to denounce discrimination, as defined by Virginia law, against all people.
LGBTQ+ individuals have always existed in Virginia and have faced prejudice at the hands of government officials dating back to 1610. We’ve only had the freedom to marry and to publicly live our lives as our true selves for a few short years. We call on our elected leaders to demonstrate empathy, love, and kindness towards our community, not hatred and disparagement. Lt. Governor Earle-Sears has repeatedly shown that she does not think LGBTQ+ Virginians deserve equal protection under the law or her respect.
Equality Arlington Condemns Lt. Governor Earle-Sears’ Anti-LGBTQ+ Remarks During Gubernatorial Debate
