Some clerics vow fight on hate law expansion

By Steven G. Vegh - Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - Web Link
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September 12, 2007

Clergy who backed Virginia's approval of a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage said Tuesday a likely priority of their new lobbying organization would be fighting any effort to add sexual orientation to the state's hate crime law.

Pastors For Family Values drew about 100 ministers to the General Assembly Building to discuss upcoming legislative interests, including abortion, payday lending, education, affordable housing and hate crimes.

The group formed last spring to continue political activism generated among pastors by the pro-amendment campaign, said Rev. Joe Ellison Jr., the group's executive director. Pastors For Family Values is an arm of The Family Foundation, a Virginia-based conservative organization that led the campaign.

A top issue Tuesday was legislation pending in the U.S. Senate that would add people's sexual orientation to the categories under which they are protected from violence by the federal hate crimes law. The House of Representatives approved the bill last spring.

Dean Nelson of Georgia-based Wellington Boone Ministries told the group that if the proposal became law, pastors could face prosecution for declaring faith-based opposition to homosexuality.

"They want to say you will not be able to proclaim that homosexuality is wrong," Nelson said. "They want to codify into law homosexual activity and say it is acceptable."

In Virginia, attempts to include sexual orientation in the state's hate crimes law have died in legislative committees as recently as 2004.

Amending the hate crimes law is "on our top list of things we'd like to have passed in Virginia," said Dyana Mason, executive director of Equality Virginia, a gay- and lesbian-rights group. But Mason said Equality's specific legislative agenda for 2008 was still being drafted. She said adding sexual orientation to hate crimes laws would have no effect on churches' ability to discuss homosexuality.