Virginia AG Declares Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional, Won’t Defend It

Just days after Virginia’s new democratic leadership was sworn in, new Attorney General Mark Herring declared that the state’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, and that he will not defend it in federal court. Virginia, once a reliable red state, has shifted with the growth of the Washington, D.C. suburbs to become a political battleground. In his first day in office this month, new Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against state employees who are gay. The attorney general’s declaration follows recent federal judge decisions to strike down gay marriage bans in Utah and Oklahoma.