The ACLU of Virginia is the leading champion of civil liberties in the Commonwealth. We want to keep you informed about the work we do in the legislature, in the courts, and in the community. We'll also give you our take on issues affecting people in neighborhoods throughout the state.
This blog post was written by Alton Coston, III, advocacy intern at the ACLU of Virginia.
On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a historic ruling declaring Virginia’s ban on interracial marriages unconstitutional. That landmark case, Loving v. Virginia, 'paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and led to the diverse country that we see today.
Now is not the time for escalation of violence against Black people and Black communities by deploying military force of any kind.
It is clear that Virginians are impacted by this virus at every level, and among the most vulnerable are Black and brown people, including the disproportionate number held in Virginia’s custodial facilities.
Even in a public health emergency, we must keep a watchful eye on the government to ensure that any COVID-19 response is grounded in science and accepted public health policy, and does not infringe on our civil rights, including the right to privacy.
It was a big year for gender justice advocates in Virginia’s General Assembly. At the start of session, we highlighted five issues to watch out for this year – and we had major wins in four out of five areas.