VA State Senate Committee Kills Anti-LGBTQ+ Religious Freedom Bill
Washington Blade.“The bill exempts any place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association, or society from the nondiscrimination in public places of accommodation provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act,” the bill stated. “Under current law, such places of accommodation are exempt only when not open to the public.”“The bill also removes the provision of the exemption for religious organizations under the Virginia Fair Housing Law that denies such exemption where the membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status or disability,” HB 753 continued.Last week, Adams’ bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Delegates with a 54-45 vote margin, according to the Blade. The committee’s vote to kill the bill was met with support from LGBTQ+ rights groups.“GOOD NEWS ALERT,” Equality Virginia wrote on Twitter Wednesday.