The ACLU of Virginia joins Californians in celebrating today’s ruling by the Supreme Court dismissing the appeal of the federal court decision that invalidated Prop 8 and restoring the freedom to marry in that state.  With the addition of California today, fully 30% of the American public now lives in a freedom-to-marry state, up from just 11% last October.
In recent years, public support for the freedom to marry has been increasing at an unprecedented rate across the nation and in Virginia.  Recent polling indicates that 56% of Virginians now favor legal marriage for all couples regardless of sexual orientation, up from 46% in 2011.
The ACLU of Virginia has been working for decades to secure the freedom to marry across the country. Our affiliate was founded by lawyers who represented the Lovings in the case that established the right to marry across racial lines. We stood with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Virginians in opposing the amendment that enshrined discrimination in the Virginia constitution, and, today, we renew our commitment to ensuring that all Virginians regardless of sexual orientation have the freedom to marry the person they love. It is time to treat loving and committed gay couples as we treat all families.