RICHMOND − Two of the four Republicans representing parts of the Tri-City area in the House of Delegates crossed the aisle Friday to join their Democratic colleagues in voting for a bill that would block marriage licenses from being denied to same-sex couples in the state.
Dels. Carrie Coyner of Chestefield County and Kim Taylor of Dinwiddie County were among five GOP legislators in the 54-40 vote to pass House Bill 174, sponsored by Del. Rozia Henson Jr., D-Woodbridge. Henson, a graduate of Virginia State University in Ettrick, is the first openly gay Black man to be elected to the Virginia House.
Henson’s bill now goes before the state Senate.
The legislation says that anyone authorized to issue marriage licenses in Virginia “shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of the parties.” It also reinforces Virginia’s recognition of same-sex marriages, which has been in place for almost 10 years despite still being banned in the state constitution.