Equality Arlington Announces 2025 VA General Assembly Legislative Priorities
Dear Senator Ebbin, Senator Favola, Delegate Hope, Delegate Lopez, and Delegate McClure,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and extended (LGBTQ+) community members are under legislative attack throughout the United States. Equality Arlington, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in Arlington, Virginia, has identified legislation proposed during the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session that supports the health, safety, and rights of LGBTQ+ residents and legislation that would do great harm to these residents.
Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to SUPPORT the following bills:
HB1681—Laura Jane Cohen (D)—Requires all state documents to offer the option of "male," "female," or "X" when designating sex or gender.
HB1617—Adele McClure (D)—Exempts homeless youth from fees when seeking to receive vital records, health records, learner's permits, driver's licenses, special identification cards, or identification privilege cards or permits.
HJR9—Mark Sickles (D)—Repeals constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and prohibits Virginia from denying the issuance of a marriage license on the basis of sex, gender, or race.
SB754—Barbara Favola (D)—Prohibits obtaining, disclosing, selling, or disseminating personally identifiable reproductive or sexual health information without the consent of the consumer.
SB773—Barbara Favola (D)—Requires local departments of social services to develop housing plans for individuals aging out of foster care and directs Virginia to enter into a MOU with localities to secure federal Family Unification Program Housing Choice Vouchers for individuals leaving foster care.
SB1052—Adam Ebbin (D)—Reduces from 15 to five the number of employees needed for an "employer" to be subject to the full non-discrimination provisions of the Virginia Human Rights Act.
SB1098—Ghazala Hashmi (D)—The Virginia Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Protection Act safeguards access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare services within Virginia and prevents extradition for healthcare-related actions that are lawful in Virginia.
SJR249—Adam Ebbin (D)—Repeals constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and prohibits Virginia from denying the issuance of a marriage license on the basis of sex, gender, or race.
Taken together, these bills would move equality forward and improve the lives of LGBTQ+ residents in Arlington and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. We urge you to vote in support of these bills.
Conversely, there continues to be an onslaught of legislative attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community across the country, including right here in Virginia. Proponents of hate against the LGBTQ+ community are implementing a strategy of packaging anti-LGBTQ+ bills as “common sense” to trick Democrats into voting in favor. We implore you to carefully read any bills that come across this way.
Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to OPPOSE the following bills:
HB1809—Delores Oates (R)—Bans transgender athletes from participating on a K-12 or higher education team or sport that is expressly designated for females.
HB2146—Eric Zehr (R)—Extends from two to 20 years the medial malpractice statute of limitations for personal injury or wrongful death on behalf of a person who was a minor during a gender transition procedure or hormone or drug therapy.
HB2182—Nicholas Freitas (R)—Requires public schools to forcibly out transgender, nonbinary, or gender questioning students to parents and requires parental consent for supportive counseling.
HB2373—Geary Higgins (R)—Establishes a parent’s bill of rights which permits a parent to review all records created or held by the school about their child, opt their child out of any surveys offered to them, and be made aware of any counseling services that their child is receiving while at school.
HB2405—Tim Griffin (R)—Bans gender reassignment surgery on individuals younger than 18 years of age.
HB2605—Lee Ware (R)—Allows medical practitioners, health care institutions, or health care payers to refuse treatment or payment for medical services such as gender affirming care if they disagree with it.
SB749—Tammy Brankley Mulchi (R)—Bans transgender athletes from participating on a K-12 team or sport that is expressly designated for females.
SB1074—Mark Peake (R)—Prohibits medical professionals from providing gender transition services and procedures to individuals under 21 years old.
SB1079—Mark Peake (R)—Bans transgender athletes from participating on a K-12 team or sport that is expressly designated for females.
These bills are fundamentally dangerous and harmful to the LGBTQ+ community, especially for the transgender community which has borne the brunt of discriminatory attacks from these proponents of hate. We adamantly recommend that you oppose these bills to protect the health and safety of LGBTQ+ residents.
At a moment when LGBTQ+ individuals are under increasing attack, the Arlington General Assembly delegation has an opportunity to send a clear message that we are a welcoming and open Commonwealth that rejects hate and discrimination. We appreciate your past and current support of our community and we call on you once more to stand up for all LGBTQ+ residents by supporting the bills listed above that support us and opposing those that seek to harm and relegate us to second-class citizens.
We hope we can continue to count on you as champions of policies that support our thriving LGBTQ+ community. If we can be of assistance moving forward, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Kellen MacBeth
President, Equality Arlington
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