Please support SJ249 - marriage between two adult persons. I am heterosexual and am in favor of any adult, regardless of sex, gender or race, wishing to marry be able to do so. They should have the same rights as I do.

I am the House of Delegates sponsor of the 2006 voter approved one-man, one-woman Marshall-Newman Marriage Amendment: “That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions … .” Virginia’s Marriage Amendment received 1,328,537 “yes” votes, to 999,687 “no” votes. We are in this quandary because the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefel vs. Hodges (6/26/2015) that the 14th Amendment requires states to issue marriage licenses to two persons of the same sex and recognize same sex “marriages” from other states. To undo the effects of the 2006 Marriage vote, Democrats introduced S.J. 249 which abolishes the traditional definition of Marriage voters put into our Constitution, but fails to replace it with a real definition! While odd, the 2015 Obergefel decision striking down the traditional one-man, one-woman marriage standard of roughly 40 states also had no marriage definition. Chief Justice Roberts’ noted: • “… petitioners conceding that they are not aware of any society that permitted same-sex marriage before 2001;” • “It is striking how much of the majority’s reasoning would apply with equal force to the claim of a fundamental right to plural marriage;” • The majority justices, “portray everyone who does not share the majority’s ‘better informed understanding’ as bigoted.” The Democrats proposal states Virginia may not, “deny the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.” Democrats want language removed from Virginia’s Constitution: “ … assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.” While Democrats can’t think of any benefits or rights, from real marriage, The Marriage and Religion Institute notes: “Marriage is the foundational relationship for all of society. All other relationships in society stem from the father-mother relationship, and these other relationships thrive most if that father-mother relationship is simultaneously a close and a closed husband wife relationship.” MRI catalogues 164 practical individual and social benefits from natural marriage. The Democrats’ marriage repeal Amendment has no conscience or religious exemption protecting clerics or members of religious denominations, business owners and others with moral/ethical objections from having to support, endorse, recognize or participate in, contract for, provide professional services or publicly recognize what “Woke” ideology or social fashion calls “marriage.” Justice Roberts noted in Obergefel that not allowing a religious or similar exemption will cause problems for persons of Faith, “ … when … a religious college provides married student housing only to opposite-sex married couples, or a religious adoption agency declines to place children with same-sex married couples. ... the Solicitor General ... acknowledged ... tax exemptions of some religious institutions would be in question if they opposed same-sex marriage.” Democrats will close Christian adoption agencies that do not place children with "same-sex couples. Democrat’s want “gender” in Virginia’s Constitution which will adversely impact women’s and girls’ sports and privacy, broaden sexual harassment liability, eradicate parental consent over preventing schools or other third parties from providing sex change drugs/surgery.

Please support SJ249. This is personal for me and many of my friends. We need to know that our marriages are protected in Virginia. Parents I know want their LGBTQ children to have the opportunity to marry and have a family. Clergy I know have been performing marriage ceremonies for a decade without any issues. This change to the Virginia Constitution does not harm anyone and will make many people happy.

Attention: General Assembly Members Many Legislators (D and some R) are voting for two immoral amendments to the Virginia Constitution (Bills HJ9 and SJ249) intend to enshrine sodomy into the VA Constitution by permitting same-sex marriage (SSM). Currently, in our constitution, marriage is defined as a union between a man and woman, as God intended. 1) This change will encourage thousands more to fall into the dangerous and demonic bondage of sodomy. 2) It will make it more difficult to restore Biblical marriage once Obergefell vs Hodges 2015 is overturned. Remember, Roe was overturned. 3) It will enshrine the filthy act of sodomy as an accepted behavior. This act is so filthy that 88% of male homosexuals report getting an enema before anal penetration (PubMed). 4) Legitimizes an unnatural lifestyle that greatly increases rectal infections, fissures, trauma, hemorrhoids, cancers, HIV, STDs and death. The rectum was not created for penetration and is usually injured. 81% of new HIV cases among men were of gays (CDC 2013). 5) Passing this amendment will treasure up greater judgements from God against a rebellious and sinful people. Isaiah 5:20 says “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil …” 6) Children raised in SSM are demonstrably worse off than hetero homes. Amendments to allow unlimited abortions in Virginia (HJ1, SJ247) 1) In 2024, 35,000 homicides against the unborn took place in the Commonwealth. Prov. 5:17 “God hates … hands that kill the innocent.” 2) Women’s rights don’t seem to apply to unborn girls who don’t have a choice or voice? What about the rights of fathers? 3) 1 John 3:15 says, “no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” Voting for this amendment will make you complicit in mass murder. Please research these matters more fully and vote AGAINST these detestable bills.