Six Degrees of Bob McDonnell
by Dana Rudolph July 16, 2010 03:01 PM
http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/six_degrees_of_bob_mcdonnellVirginia Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) is no friend to the LGBT community. He is, however, related to it — and that points to an important truth about our society and our approach to LGBT rights.
As a legislator, McDonnell was chief sponsor and author of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from marriage. McDonnell's Web site proudly boasts that he was twice named "Legislator of the Year" by the Virginia Family Foundation, an ultra-conservative group. As governor, in February 2010, he signed an executive order banning discrimination against state workers on the basis of race, sex, religion and age — but not sexual orientation, as his predecessors had done. A month later, after much criticism, he issued an executive directive (not as strong as an executive order), saying that he would not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including that based on sexual orientation. And his Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli forced the halt of a proposed state regulatory change that would have allowed government employees to add same-sex partners to their state health benefits.
McDonnell's former in-law, however — the divorced spouse of his wife's sister — is transgender.
