RICHMOND, Va. — Virginians will decide this November whether or not to add a constitutional amendment on marriage equality.
The official ballot language voters will see in the general election reads:
"Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to remove the ban on same-sex marriage; affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and require all legally-valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?"
Although marriage equality is currently protected federally, Virginia's constitution contains language that bans same-sex marriage. The amendment would repeal that language.
At a press conference Monday morning, Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, emphasized that this change is about freedom.
"The freedom to marry the person you love, the freedom to make deeply personal decisions about your family without interference from the government, and the freedom for every Virginian to build a life with the person they love and have that life recognized and respected," Rahaman said.
Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, said the new language being added with this amendment could have unintended consequences that voters may not realize.
"And they didn't just redefine marriage, they define trans ideology, and basically said, 'this is in our constitution.' And if it's in our constitution, that means businesses, churches, and all sorts of entities will have to comply. That means boys in girls' sports and locker rooms, and all the things that many Virginians oppose," Cobb said.
Virginians will be able to vote on this amendment in the general election on November 3. In-person voting begins September 18.
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