TL;DR
- Virginia voters will decide on a marriage equality amendment this November.
- The amendment aims to replace a 20-year-old ban on same-sex marriage.
- Activists are rallying support to ensure the amendment passes.
- The campaign emphasizes conversations about love and rights.
- This referendum follows a national trend of protecting LGBTQ+ rights.
Virginia is once again at the forefront of a significant cultural shift, and this time, it’s about love and equality. Twenty years after voters approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, the state is gearing up for a referendum that could finally enshrine marriage equality in its constitution. Pro-marriage equality activists gathered in Richmond to kick off the campaign, aptly named Virginians for Marriage Equality, on June 1. They’re ready to erase the outdated language that has haunted the state for two decades.
The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot on November 3, and if passed, it will replace the archaic ban with a clear guarantee that two adults can marry regardless of sex, gender, or race. It will also ensure that all legally valid marriages are treated equally under the law. “This amendment is deeply important to me as a Virginia voter and deeply personal to me as a married woman,” said Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, during the launch event. And she’s not alone in her sentiment.
The 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, passed with 57% support amid a national wave of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. But times have changed, and so have the hearts and minds of many Virginians. Federal courts struck down the ban in 2014, allowing same-sex couples to marry, but the discriminatory language has remained in the state constitution, a shadow over the rights of countless families.
As the campaign heats up, advocates are keenly aware of the stakes involved. The Supreme Court’s recent actions have left many LGBTQ+ activists feeling uneasy, particularly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Justice Clarence Thomas hinted at reconsidering precedents like Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This has propelled advocates to push for state-level protections that can withstand potential federal rollbacks.
“Over the next five months, Virginians for Marriage Equality will ask Virginia voters to have conversations with their friends, families, and neighbors — at kitchen tables, in living rooms, on front porches — about the things that matter most to us as Virginians,” Rahaman stated, emphasizing the importance of community dialogue in this pivotal moment.
The journey to get this amendment on the ballot was no easy feat. It required passing through Virginia’s lengthy constitutional amendment process, which mandates approval from both chambers of the General Assembly in two separate legislatures. After being first approved in 2025, it received final legislative approval in 2026, paving the way for voters to have their say.
The launch event featured an interfaith prayer service at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, followed by speeches from lawmakers, advocates, and families sharing their personal stories. Chad Stewart, who appeared alongside his husband and daughter, highlighted the everyday importance of marriage equality, stating, “Marriage equality is what allows families like ours to navigate health care, school enrollment, parenting, caregiving, and all the ordinary parts of life that comes with making a home together.”
Supporters are also invoking Virginia’s rich history in the fight for marriage rights, referencing the landmark case of Loving v. Virginia, which struck down bans on interracial marriage. “Now we are proud to carry that legacy forward by standing with our coalition partners in the fight to pass this amendment and finally enshrine the right to marriage equality in the Commonwealth’s constitution,” said Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia.
The upcoming ballot will not only feature the marriage equality amendment but also proposed amendments aimed at protecting reproductive freedom and restoring voting rights for Virginians with felony convictions. It’s a crucial moment for Virginia, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for LGBTQ+ families across the state. Will love prevail? We’ll find out this November.