The state’s largest LGBTQ equality group has funded a survey and the results look promising for those concerned with the rights of sexual minorities.
In Virginia, you can be fired, not hired, or denied housing and services if you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and a majority of Virginians want that changed according to a new poll sponsored by Equality Virginia.
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The LGBTQ equality group hoped to spotlight this lack of protections and the results they got back were promising for the civil rights advocacy group.
“An overwhelming percentage of Virginians support fairness and equality both in the issues of workplace discrimination, housing discrimination, and banning conversion therapy for minors.”
That’s Joseph Papa, Communications Director for Equality Virginia. Since 1989, He and his group’s legislative advocacy arm have been fighting for LGBTQ civil rights.
They hope these new numbers, collected from phone and internet surveys with about 859 Virginians earlier this month, will inform voters and elected officials ahead of Election Day in November and during the 2018 General Assembly.
This was the first time in recent memory Equality Virginia has funded a survey of this kind, and while same-sex marriage has been legal in Commonwealth since 2014, Papa hopes the remaining problems faced by his community will be addressed, or at least not worsened, in the coming months.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.