GOP's Ron Villanueva Explains Why He Is Sponsoring of a Gay Rights Bbill

I noted in a previous post my pleasant surprise that GOP Del. Ron Villanueva (pictured at left) had introduced a bill in the 2014 Virginia General Assembly that would grant employment non-discrimination protections to gay state employees.  Typically, members of the Virginia GOP are afraid to touch any pro-gay legislation since they will court the wrath of the Christofascists at The Family Foundation if they do.An article in the Virginian Pilot provides a glimpse at Villanueva's reasoning:  He knows what it's like to face discrimination.  Here are highlights:

For years, gay rights has been one of the hot-button social issues that serve as fodder for partisan warfare in the General Assembly, with Democrats favoring gay-friendly measures and Republicans opposing them. But the partisan lines are starting to blur a bit.

This year, several lawmakers have introduced legislation to prohibit discrimination in state employment based on sexual orientation, and one of them is a Republican: Del. Ron Villanueva of Virginia Beach.

The 43-year-old delegate, who is beginning his third two-year term in the House, said Monday his decision to try to help protect Virginia's gay minority was rooted in his own minority status as a Filipino-American.

"I've experienced discrimination. My family has. My race has," he said. "If I can help move the needle, that's what I'm here to do.... In this day and age, we need to root out discrimination on all levels."

It remains to be seen how many of his fellow Republicans Villanueva will be able to bring along on the issue. Similar measures have passed the closely divided state Senate in recent sessions, only to die in the heavily Republican House.

Obviously, the haters at The Family Foundation will be none to pleased with Villanueva for his introduction of this bill.  But then again, since his not a white right wing Protestant, they probably don't care for him very much anyway.  The article also gives an example of the hypocrisy that is so plentiful at The Family Foundation.  When the GOP pushes anti-gay and anti-woman legislation backed by The family Foundation, it's never described as divisive legislation.   Yet when Democrats introduce non-discrimination bills, suddenly it's "divisive":

Monday's salvos drew pushback from the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia.

"Fewer Americans are working today than at any point since the Carter administration; but instead of focusing on jobs and the economy, liberals in Virginia have introduced nearly 20 bills dealing with sex and abortion," Victoria Cobb, the group's president, said by email. "The left's attacks on marriage, religious liberty and parental rights won't be distracting enough for Virginians to notice they don't have jobs, but they could undermine Governor McAuliffe's claims that he wants to work across party lines and avoid divisive issues."

Funny how the unemployment situation did not stop Ken Cuccinelli, Bob Marshall and, of course, The Family Foundation from pushing reactionary legislation throughout the last four years.  As I have said before, if Victoria Cobb's (she's president of TFF) lips are moving  it's a good bet that she's lying.  The woman and her organization are despicable.