Please vote AGAINST this immoral bill. The killing of a baby for “reproductive freedom” is barbaric, shameful, contemptible, and animalistic.

I urge you to vote in favor of the redistricting amendment. As a constituent from Chesapeake, VA, I want to feel confident that my community is being represented fairly. Every Virginian deserves to know their vote matters. Supporting this amendment is one simple way to help protect that.

Respect Life from conception!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Virginia’s legislative session, and on day one the abortion lobby is already moving to advance HJ1, the so-called Reproductive Freedom Amendment. This amendment would radically change Virginia’s Constitution and turn our Commonwealth into an abortion destination state. HJ1 is an extreme and dangerous proposal. It would allow abortions on healthy, viable babies in the third trimester with the approval of only a single physician. Its vague and sweeping language opens the door to eliminating parental consent laws, stripping parents of their right to be involved in life-altering decisions about their children. It would also prevent the enforcement of basic health and safety standards at abortion facilities and could pave the way for taxpayer-funded abortions. This amendment is not about women’s health—it is about removing every meaningful limit on abortion, even when unborn children can survive outside the womb. Virginians deserve better than a constitutional amendment that abandons preborn children, undermines parental rights, and silences common-sense protections. I strongly urge you to vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians, protect families, and defend a future for Virginia that values life, accountability, and compassion beyond abortion.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Please vote NO on HJ1. Please stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

Please vote no on amendment HJ1. Abortion is NOT reproductive health care. That is a false narrative. Abortion is the termination of life. Any woman that has felt a baby move within her knows that is life, if it were not life the baby would not move within the womb, have a heartbeat, get the hiccups, suck his/her thumb. How can you vote to legally kill a baby? How can you determine when a baby is not a life? There was a time when a premature baby had little chance of survival. Today babies born as early as 24 weeks survive. I’m sure that in the future medical advances will allow all premature babies to survive. How can you then vote to terminate a human being for no reason other than the narrative of “reproductive health care”??

Please support amendment HJ1. Reproductive freedom is incredibly important to the health of our communities and taking rights away will be extremely detrimental.

This amendment is extreme, and most Virginians do not want abortion laws taken this far. HJ1 would allow abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. Its vague and sweeping language could also be used to eliminate parental consent laws and prevent the enforcement of basic health and safety standards at abortion facilities. Removing these safeguards is dangerous not only for preborn children, but for mothers as well. Health and safety regulations exist to protect women from substandard care, medical negligence, and unsafe conditions. Stripping the Commonwealth of its ability to enforce these protections puts women at real risk and prioritizes ideology over patient safety. Additionally, HJ1 opens the door to the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Virginians overwhelmingly support reasonable limits, informed consent, and protections that safeguard both women and their children—not a constitutional amendment that removes long-standing standards and allows abortion with virtually no restrictions. I urge you to vote NO on HJ1. Please stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion.

I am in support of HJ1 - this type of decision should be between a woman or a couple and their doctor. It does NOT belong in politics. Please vote yes to refer this amendment to the House.

Please vote NO on HJ1. Abortion is morally wrong. It is correct that women have rights; they also have responsibilities. Irresponsibility is the most common reason for choosing abortion. Medically necessary abortions are rare! The wording of HJ1 is vague (maybe intentionally) and presents opportunities for even more infringement upon our families and moral responsibilities as parents. Thank you for voting NO !

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies with only one physician;s approval. The vague langue can allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health and safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. We also need to ensure that there is no possibility of taxpayer funded abortions. Vote NO on HJ1.

I am writing to express my strong opposition to HJ1. This proposed amendment represents a significant and far-reaching change to Virginia’s Constitution, one that would permanently weaken protections for the most vulnerable members of our Commonwealth. As written, HJ1 would permit abortions after fetal viability with the approval of only a single physician, even in cases where the unborn child is healthy. This removes long-standing safeguards that recognize viability as a meaningful ethical and medical threshold, and it offers no clear limits to ensure that late-term abortions are truly rare or restricted to extraordinary circumstances. The amendment also relies on broad and imprecise language that could undermine existing parental consent and notification requirements, effectively sidelining parents from life-altering medical decisions involving their minor children. Additionally, the vague language raises serious concerns about the Commonwealth’s ability to enforce basic health and safety standards at abortion facilities, standards that exist to protect women from harm. There is also reason to believe this amendment could open the door to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortion services, despite the deeply held moral objections of many Virginians. Attached is a photo of Angel, a baby who was found aborted. Based on available information, he was possibly exsanguinated and dismembered while still alive. I include this not to shock, but to underscore what is at stake when legal protections for preborn children are eroded. Behind every abstract policy debate is a real human life, deserving of dignity, compassion, and protection. HJ1 would lock extreme abortion policy into our state constitution, making it far more difficult for future legislators and citizens to enact reasonable, humane limits or respond to new medical and ethical considerations. Constitutional amendments should unify Virginians around fundamental rights, not entrench policies that many view as profoundly unjust and harmful. For these reasons, I urge you to vote no on HJ1. I respectfully ask you to support policies that protect vulnerable preborn Virginians, uphold responsible medical standards, respect parental rights, and reflect a genuine commitment to life-affirming values in the Commonwealth. Thank you for your time and for your service to the people of Virginia.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

I am strongly opposed to the inhumane bill HJ1 which would allow the death of a human soul that would be viable outside its mother's womb.

A righteous person cares ⌞even⌟ about the life of his animals, but the compassion of wicked people is ⌞nothing but⌟ cruelty (Proverbs 12:10). Once again, by the "love" and "compassion" of whom are children murdered ⌞even⌟ in the womb? Vote NO to HJ1!!

I am writing to voice my strong opposition to HJ1. This measure dismisses the inherent dignity and worth of unborn children, undermines the rights of parents, and represents an extreme departure from the values that have long guided our Commonwealth. Every child in the womb is a human life with purpose and potential. HJ1 attempts to strip these children of recognition and protection, ignoring both science and basic moral responsibility. The resolution also threatens parental rights by shifting critical decisions away from families and toward the state. Parents—not government—are the primary guardians and advocates for their children, and any policy that weakens that role is deeply troubling. HJ1 is an extreme proposal that disregards the convictions of countless Virginians. I urge you to reject it and uphold the principles of life, family, and human dignity.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. If you care at all about life and health, please vote NO to this amendment. It amazes me that laws seeking to legalize the slaughter of human beings prior to and even up until the moment they are born are called 'reproductive freedom'. How does a baby being born limit anyone's freedom? Is it not worse than segregation or slavery to insist that a child be killed so that they will not infringe upon your comfort and convenience? What about the freedom rights of the child? Abortion is murder and should be illegal at any and all stages. How far will you allow these laws of death to be perpetuated? Will you next pass legislation which legalizes the killing of infants with down syndrome next, or perhaps euthanasia for the old and invalid? Please vote NO to this amendment.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

Oppose HJ1 in the name of Jesus! Intentional killing of a child that the Lord is creating is a gracious affront against a holy God, bringing down His judgement on each person voting for this bill and on the commonwealth of Virginia. “Healthcare, choice, reproductive freedom, woman’s right” are euphemisms to avoid the truth of what induced abortions are. For life of the mother complications, even abortionists tell us c-sections are safer and quicker, and offer the baby life saving measures. Please do not be part of the holocaust of our generation and black genocide. It is our turn to stand for up the most vulnerable among us, Virginia. “ A country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, rather to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.” Mother Theresa

I oppose HJ1. There is no need to have Abortion Until Birth. Virginia already has the women's right to abortion until 26 weeks which is already far too long. It is barbaric to destroy a living baby that feels enormous pain during the dismemberment and brain crushing to extract the baby from the mother's uterus. If the mother's health is at risk a C-section can be performed very quickly, much quicker than an abortion to save the life of the mother. I know that from personal experience. I had an emergency C Section in 7 minutes. Both baby and I were saved and healthy. This amendment also removes protections for women. There are no required standards for physicians to perform the abortions. There are no standards for abortion clinics. It says nothing about the Joint Commission inspecting and qualifying the clinics. No age restrictions so minors can have abortions without parental consent. Who is responsible for the minor having complications, bleeding, tearing of the uterus? Those who vote for this horrendous amendment should be sued to pay for damages. Please vote NO to this amendment. There is already a right to abort in Virginia.

I strongly oppose this bill because I believe every unborn child, from conception to birth, deserves protection. Women deserve real support and compassionate care that values both their well-being and the life of their child. I urge lawmakers to reject this bill and instead focus on policies that protect unborn children and offer meaningful support to women and families.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

There is no logical reasoning behind a baby in the womb not being considered a living human. The termination of this life is a crime, not a fundamental right.

VOTE NO!!! I believe in God's Choice! Babies are citizens of Virginia, too!

I am completely in opposition to the HJ1 bill which facilitates the termination of innocent human life. The value of human life should not depend on where the baby is physically located (in or outside the womb). “A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members; and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn.”

Abortion is murder and should not be allowed. We need to offer real support to mothers and their children, not a way for children to be killed and mothers to be scarred. Virginia should not allow abortions.

Virginia has already been on the wrong side of the Human Rights debate, learn from our mistake on Slavery. Every human is valuable and worthy of protection. Human value does not depend the color of your skin, sex, stage of development, or location. Reject HJ1 and stand up for the Human Rights for all humans.

Please vote NO to this terrible bill. It supports abortion up to birth and without parental notification using taxpayer money. Later term abortion usually involves the crushing and dismemberment of a tiny baby who should be love and protected by his/her parents.

Dear members of the general assembly, I’m a licensed professional counselor and counselor educator working and serving communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships, in Virginia for the past decade. I’m writing to you to share my story about my family. My wife and I started our relationship in 2018 and got married in 2019. We worked hard and deeply desired to build our family. In 2021, we began our family planning journey as an LGBTQ+ couple. In 2022, we welcomed our son who is the biggest gift life can give. Our ability to be married greatly helped us in achieving our dreams as my wife was able to adopt our son in 2023. We all deserve the right to marry and build families and communities that support one another. Protecting the right to marry for LGBTQ+ individuals is a human right. When the judge asked us if there was anything we wanted to share about the adoption order, all we could muster was how grateful we are for this opportunity. Please protect our right to marry and keep LGBTQ+ families whole. Thank you!

I respectfully oppose House Joint Resolution 1. While presented as a “reproductive freedom” amendment, HJ1 goes far beyond current Virginia law and would permanently remove long-standing protections that many Virginians support. By placing broad and undefined abortion rights into the state constitution, the amendment would limit the ability of future legislatures — and voters — to enact reasonable safeguards such as parental consent for minors, informed consent, waiting periods, and protections for unborn children later in pregnancy. Constitutional amendments should be narrow, clear, and reflect broad consensus. HJ1 instead uses sweeping language that could allow abortion access up to birth with minimal regulation and restrict the Commonwealth’s ability to protect women, families, and children. These are complex, deeply moral issues that deserve ongoing legislative debate, not permanent constitutional mandates. I urge lawmakers to reject HJ1 and instead pursue policies that support women, families, prenatal care, adoption resources, and both mother and child — without eliminating reasonable limits or removing the people’s voice from future decisions.

As a resident of Northern Virginia, I strongly oppose HJ1. This amendment is not healthcare. It would allow abortion after viability and fails to protect babies born alive during later-term abortion procedures. The vague language is deeply concerning, particularly around parental consent and the standards used to justify abortion, which could be broadly interpreted beyond life-threatening situations. HJ1 does not address the coercion of minors into abortion and does nothing to support sustainable community practices that strengthen families and protect women and children. Rather than advancing policies that make family planning and childbirth accessible and supported, it prioritizes abortion without addressing underlying needs in Virginia.

This legislation is the embodiment of the commoditization of human life. Human life begins at conception. Abortion allows for the organ harvesting of even first trimester abortions in which the baby's body is micro-dissected for the heart, lungs, kidney, liver, thymus and other tissues of the child. This is not a clump of cells. This tissue is then sold to pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers so they can make biologic agents and more importantly cosmetics, skin creams and other products all at the expense of a human life. The later the in the pregnancy the more each organ costs. You can also get a subscription to fetal organs. How many of this panel are invested in companies that seek the procurement of human organs? Further, it is important that the organs are harvested without anesthesia and the child dies only after the harvesting has begun. Thus, the child feels their body ripped a part. You further lie to the young people and say they should not be bothered by the killing of their preborn child. You are not present for the depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, psychosis, breast cancer, cervical cancer, miscarriage and other medical problems that occur post abortion because after all it is all about the number of abortions and the more babies sacrificed in Virginia the happier the members of this committee are. Bernard Nathenson, the founder of the National Abortion Right Action Legal who fought for Roe described the glee in board meeting as the number of abortions escalated. As a physician, he realized he was wrong. The desire for abortion is a sickness that has overcome this nation and has destroyed the greatest gift given to women. Further, those woman and girls who are being sex trafficked will have no protection. Those clinicians who commit malpractice will never be held accountable. There are no standards for these clinics so every mother needs to know she is not only sentencing her preborn child to death but she is placing her own life in danger. The "safe and effect" abortion pill. Yes, it starves a preborn baby, not a clump of cells. What message are we sending the children of Virginia: if you are alive, be grateful because your mother has the right to kill you and your father is just a bystander, discarded like a disposable rag. Then to add to your plan, you promote the sterilization of youth as you tell them them can change their biologic sex. Then lastly, you open the door to surrogates without limitation. A pedophile can now order a child. Couples are not limited in the number of children they can purchase. Purchase. In Virginia, we have another word for this; Slavery. Yes, Virginia supports slavery. You believe that human life is a commodity that women have complete and total control over. Be clear this is what you are voting for. You will be responsible not for raising the health of the nation but you will be responsible for the genocide of the black population in Virginia. You will be responsible for the genocide of the white population in Virginia. You will be responsible for the genocide of Virginia.

I am a proud lifelong Virginian. I am the mother of three daughters and I plan to raise my girls here in this great Commonwealth. Neither I, nor my daughters, nor any other woman in Virginia, need the "right" to kill our preborn children up until the moment of birth to be enshrined in our state constitution. Virginia state law already allows abortion until viability, which is currently about 24 weeks. This is long after the fetus's heart has started beating, long after their mother can feel her child moving, long after the fetus has begun to feel pain. There is absolutely zero confusion about whether a fetus is alive at this point. They most certainly are. Abortion kills them. HJ1 would allow the of killing preborn children AFTER viability. And for what reason? At the point of viability, what possible reason could someone have for ending her own child's life, rather than delivering her child early and getting proper medical care? I am NOT saying that women with pregnancy complications should be legally required to sacrifice their own life for that of their preborn child (but what mother wouldn't?) That is not what I am saying at all, and neither is anyone else opposed to abortion. What I am saying is this: There is no reason, even if a pregnant woman's life is in danger, that she would need to have an abortion after 24 weeks. Deliver the child, do everything medically possible to save the mother's AND the child's life! Is that easy? No, absolutely not. Is it the responsibility of the State to protect the lives of ALL its citizens? Absolutely yes. Voting to enshrine abortion in our state constitution is not only not necessary for the women of Virginia, but it's cruel and inhumane to future generations of Virginians. Please, vote no on HJ1.

I find it ironic that highlights of this amendment indicate the goal is to recognize reproductive freedom as a core right for every individual. What about the rights of every child that is murdered when an abortion is completed? How far have we come as a society where we’ve decided that a woman’s right to choose death for another human's life is okay? I ask that you pray to God the creator and ask him to show you the injustice you’ll be directly responsible for if you support this amendment. We should put our resources and energy into helping unexpectant mothers care for their children or help them find a loving home for those babies. Murder is not and will never be the right answer.

Please vote No, this is a terrible Bill for Virginia and so far outside of mainstream thinking. It has nothing to do with reproductive rights and strips parents of their rights and responsibilities. Vote NO!

It has been said there are no women's rights and no man's rights --- there are only human rights. The most basic human right is sovereignty over one's own body. Whether you are male or female, your primary essence is your humanity and your primary responsibility as a human is to protect yours and others' humanity. As an elected official, this , in fact, is your hallowed public responsibility. What happens to a person's in terms of their health care and well-being must be within their own power to determine or else we are slaves to the state. You cannot know the circumstances that drive any women, couple, family, doctor, to believe an abortion is the right choice for them. Do not presuppose that your sense of humanity is superior to theirs. Honor their human rights that, in turn , you can rightfully expect the state to honor yours.

I am against HJ1 because it enshrines a broad constitutional right to reproductive freedom that could preclude reasonable, evidence based regulations on abortion and related care. Making this a fundamental constitutional right limits future legislatures ability to balance maternal health, parental evolvement, and protections for unborn children. I believe such decisions should remain within the scope of legislative process where elected representatives can adjust policy, rather than write permanent, expansive language into the states foundational law.

Please do not support this bill.. I don’t understand the rush. This bill will have dire effects on women and babies. Please consider the blessing of your own life and take the side of these most vulnerable among us. Do the right thing, not the easy thing.. have a nice day and make sure inborn babies can live to have a nice day too.

The proposed Virginia abortion amendment negates parental rights and ignores the rights of unborn persons. Also, doctors may perform abortions up to birth without criminal liability. None of these scenarios are good for the citizens of our Commonwealth. Virginia has turned into a state where radical abortion activism has taken hold and this amendment is so far out of the mainstream of American opinion. Please vote no.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

Dear members, I oppose this bill and urge you to consider that no person has the right to infringe on another persons right to life. Preborn people are humans and alive from the moment of fertilization, possessing a separate DNA unique to their personhood. Please consider that our means of conception does not determine our value as a species, and providing life affirming services and care before and after birth is truly pro woman. Thank you.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

I have been a Virginian since 2000 and a physician since 1994. Please oppose HJ1. Life begins at conception, abortion hurts and kills women, and pregnancy and childbirth have improved the lives of countless of my patients. Further de-regulating child sacrifice in the Commonwealth will only lead to more harm-see the package inserts of mifepristone for warnings regarding death from infection.

I am in support of these Bills as a Virginia resident and voter.

I am writing in opposition to HJ1. This amendment is extreme and would allow for abortions on healthy babies past viability with only one physician’s approval. It also contains extremely vague language that would allow for parental consent laws to be removed and prevent any health or safety standards from being enforced at abortion facilities. It would even allow for the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortion. Vote NO on HJ1. Stand up for preborn Virginians and stand for a Virginia beyond abortion!

I support HJI. I is absolutely imperative that we allow women to make their own choice regarding reproduction and their own bodies.

As an almost lifelong Virginian, I would like to express my full support for each of these proposed bills/amendments.

I strongly support the constitutional amendment that assures that people have the right to the full scope of reproductive health care and protects health care professionals who provide it.

I am writing in support of HJ1. Please pass the language on this important proposed Constitutional Amendment to protect the rights and freedoms for all families in the Commonwealth. These protections are important for ensuring access to quality healthcare for our citizens as well as remaining a safe haven for our neighbors in need.

Dear Chair Price and members of the House Privileges and Elections Committee: My name is Nicole McCurdy, and I am an Organizing and Engagement Associate-Campaigns and Policy at Catholics for Choice, a nonprofit organization that amplifies the voices of the overwhelming majority of Catholics who support reproductive freedom. I am writing to submit written testimony in support of HJ 1- Constitutional Amendment; right to reproductive freedom, which is currently before your committee. Please find our written testimony attached. Thank you for your consideration and for your work on this important issue.

I am a member of Equality UUCA which is a part of the 650-member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Our focus is to represent LGBTQIA+ matters from the perspective of our faith. We urge repeal of the existing marriage amendment to the Constitution prohibiting marriage between same sex couples to be replaced by the proposed affirmative right to marriage. Please vote yes on HJ3. A guiding principle and value of our Unitarian Universalist faith is to affirm the inherent worthiness and dignity of all people. Marriage equality in effect for a decade has proven the wisdom of our principle. Marriage equality is good for families and good for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can ill afford to take the risk of losing the many benefits of same sex marriage by an ill-considered future federal court decision. The time is now to remove this cruel anachronism from the Virginia Constitution, to recognize the clear will of the people of Virginia, and to affirm the thousands of same sex marriages that already exist and those that will exist in the future.

I am a member of the 650-member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. We recognize the clear intersection of reproductive freedom with the inalienable right of all people to bodily autonomy. I urge your yes vote on HJ1 to advance to referendum. Thank you. Carol Lewis

I represent Equality UUCA which is a part of the 650-member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Our focus is to represent LGBTQIA+ matters from the perspective of our faith. We recognize the clear intersection of reproductive freedom with the inalienable right of all people to bodily autonomy. We urge your yes vote on HJ1 to advance to referendum.

Our Bodies Our Choice of Blacksburg, Virginia has been working hard to educate the public about the Constitutional Amendment on Reproductive Freedom over the last two years. More than 200 people have joined our list of supporters of the amendment. College students can't imagine a world with access to contraception and those of us in the older generation, who lived without access to contraception or abortion in our youth, are fighting hard to retain these protections for all Virginia families. We strongly urge you to approve HJ1!

The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports HJ1. Every Virginian deserves the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions without government interference. These decisions include those related to comprehensive reproductive healthcare – prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management and fertility care. HJ1 will guarantee that the state cannot deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most personal healthcare decisions. Our health care providers need to be able to act in the best interests of their patients, without government interference or fear of punishment. This legislation provides that protection. We urge you to support the passage of HJ1.

Dear members of the general assembly, I’m a licensed professional counselor and counselor educator working and serving communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships, in Virginia for the past decade. I’m writing to you to share my story about my family. My wife and I started our relationship in 2018 and got married in 2019. We worked hard and deeply desired to build our family. In 2021, we began our family planning journey as an LGBTQ+ couple. In 2022, we welcomed our son who is the biggest gift life can give. Our ability to be married greatly helped us in achieving our dreams as my wife was able to adopt our son in 2023. We all deserve the right to marry and build families and communities that support one another. Protecting the right to marry for LGBTQ+ individuals is a human right. When the judge asked us if there was anything we wanted to share about the adoption order, all we could muster was how grateful we are for this opportunity. Please protect our right to marry and keep LGBTQ+ families whole. Thank you!

I am in support of these Bills as a Virginia resident and voter.

I strongly support HJ2, which restores voting rights for felons. People who have completed their sentence should automatically regain the right to vote. Virginia is out of step with the rest of the U.S. Having the right to vote gives people a stake in helping to make society better.

As an almost lifelong Virginian, I would like to express my full support for each of these proposed bills/amendments.

Dear members of the general assembly, I’m a licensed professional counselor and counselor educator working and serving communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships, in Virginia for the past decade. I’m writing to you to share my story about my family. My wife and I started our relationship in 2018 and got married in 2019. We worked hard and deeply desired to build our family. In 2021, we began our family planning journey as an LGBTQ+ couple. In 2022, we welcomed our son who is the biggest gift life can give. Our ability to be married greatly helped us in achieving our dreams as my wife was able to adopt our son in 2023. We all deserve the right to marry and build families and communities that support one another. Protecting the right to marry for LGBTQ+ individuals is a human right. When the judge asked us if there was anything we wanted to share about the adoption order, all we could muster was how grateful we are for this opportunity. Please protect our right to marry and keep LGBTQ+ families whole. Thank you!

I am in support of these Bills as a Virginia resident and voter.

I strongly support HJ3. This amendment would repeal the ban on same-sex marriage and affirm the lawful and equal status of adults' marriages, regardless of sex, gender, or race. David Popenoe, a conservative and an authority on the benefits of marriage, supports same-sex marriage. He makes a strong case that society benefits from stable families. Marriage, regardless of spouses' sex, promotes family stability. Individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, should have equal rights, including the right to marry.

As an almost lifelong Virginian, I would like to express my full support for each of these proposed bills/amendments.

I am a member of Equality UUCA which is a part of the 650-member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Our focus is to represent LGBTQIA+ matters from the perspective of our faith. We urge repeal of the existing marriage amendment to the Constitution prohibiting marriage between same sex couples to be replaced by the proposed affirmative right to marriage. Please vote yes on HJ3. A guiding principle and value of our Unitarian Universalist faith is to affirm the inherent worthiness and dignity of all people. Marriage equality in effect for a decade has proven the wisdom of our principle. Marriage equality is good for families and good for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can ill afford to take the risk of losing the many benefits of same sex marriage by an ill-considered future federal court decision. The time is now to remove this cruel anachronism from the Virginia Constitution, to recognize the clear will of the people of Virginia, and to affirm the thousands of same sex marriages that already exist and those that will exist in the future.

I urge repeal of the existing marriage amendment to the Constitution prohibiting marriage between same sex couples to be replaced by the proposed affirmative right to marriage. Please vote yes on HJ3. Marriage equality is good for families and good for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can ill afford to take the risk of losing the many benefits of same sex marriage by an ill-considered future federal court decision. The time is now to remove this cruel anachronism from the Virginia Constitution, to recognize the clear will of the people of Virginia, and to affirm the thousands of same sex marriages that already exist and those that will exist in the future. Thank you. Carol Lewis

My husband and I have been together as a same sex couple for 40 years, the last 12 of which have been under a legal marriage performed in Maryland before Virginia would do so. My husband is a lifelong Virginia resident, as was his mother, and I have been a Virginia resident since beginning my attendance at the University of Virginia more than 50 years ago. Our quality of life was immeasurably improved from the day we could become legally united. Respect, worthiness, and dignity are important life values that legal marriage affirms. We lived through the horror of the Marshall Newman amendment's denial of our humanity and existence. Friends urged us to leave the Commonwealth to establish residence and pay taxes in a place that respected us. We held faith that our home state would eventually do the right thing and continue to hold hope that the Commonwealth will remove this remaining legal uncertainty for us. Please vote yes to advance HJ3 to a referendum.

I represent Equality UUCA which is a part of the 650-member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Our focus is to represent LGBTQIA+ matters from the perspective of our faith. We urge repeal of the existing marriage amendment to the Constitution prohibiting marriage between same sex couples to be replaced by the proposed affirmative right to marriage. Please vote yes on HJ3. A guiding principle and value of our Unitarian Universalist faith is to affirm the inherent worthiness and dignity of all people. Marriage equality in effect for a decade has proven the wisdom of our principle. Marriage equality is good for families and good for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can ill afford to take the risk of losing the many benefits of same sex marriage by an ill considered future federal court decision. The time is now to remove this cruel anachronism from the Virginia Constitution, to recognize the clear will of the people of Virginia, and to affirm the thousands of same sex marriages that already exist and those that will exist in the future.

Dear members of the general assembly, I’m a licensed professional counselor and counselor educator working and serving communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships, in Virginia for the past decade. I’m writing to you to share my story about my family. My wife and I started our relationship in 2018 and got married in 2019. We worked hard and deeply desired to build our family. In 2021, we began our family planning journey as an LGBTQ+ couple. In 2022, we welcomed our son who is the biggest gift life can give. Our ability to be married greatly helped us in achieving our dreams as my wife was able to adopt our son in 2023. We all deserve the right to marry and build families and communities that support one another. Protecting the right to marry for LGBTQ+ individuals is a human right. When the judge asked us if there was anything we wanted to share about the adoption order, all we could muster was how grateful we are for this opportunity. Please protect our right to marry and keep LGBTQ+ families whole. Thank you!

I am in support of these Bills as a Virginia resident and voter.

As an almost lifelong Virginian, I would like to express my full support for each of these proposed bills/amendments.