The following comment was left on the Bilerico Project blog, in response to a post by Michael Hamar on efforts by Equality Virginia “to keep the pressure on Virginia GOP Governor Bob McDonnell and the gay haters in the Virginia General Assembly.” The commenter is from Lawrenceville, Georgia. I find the comment, which Michael Hamar pointed out to me, interesting on two counts: 1) Cooch’s office actually defending Virginia’s antiquated, bizarre, unconstitutional, normally unenforced anti-“sodomy” laws; and 2) the rude manner in which the caller is treated by Cooch’s office. The embarrassment to Virginia continues embarrassing.
I telephoned both the Office of the Governor of Virginia and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia concerning the very public stance they’ve taken concerning non-heterosexually oriented persons in their state.
I also took this chance to complain to the Attorney General concerning a practice of some of Virginia’s local law-enforcement jurisdictions, where they continue to make arrests for violations of Virginia’s sodomy laws, imprisoning men for violations of those laws, then having the judges dismiss those charges when the men are brought to trial – not at arraignment, but at actual trial. I reminded the Virginia AG’s Office of Lawrence v. Texas, and how the Supreme Court had issued a decision which negated all sodomy laws, nationwide.
The AG’s Office informed me Virginia has not repealed their sodomy laws, so that arrest under those laws was still justified, and the process in place was correct: local jurisdictions follow the laws on the books, a trial court dismisses those charges to conform with federal court decisions; that was “how the system works.”
Then the kicker:
“Y’all don’t even live here, so it really doesn’t affect you. Goodbye.”
Click.
I just hope that Cooch’s job doesn’t include promoting Virginia tourism, certainly not with the slogan, “Virginia is for lovers!” Ha.
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