VA BALLOT QUESTION NUMBER 1 November 2006

Shall Article I, the Bill of Rights, of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to state "That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions"

"This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."?


Dear Family, Friends, Associates and Neighbors:

I send this message to you as a plea. Above is the full text of the amendment that you, as a registered voter, will be voting on this November. This is a plea because this amendment will deeply affect my life in a profound way. Please note the section that is bolded and underlined in red above. It states that no agreement or even contract, such as a will or beneficiary will be valid between any two individuals, other than those that are legally married. This impacts contacts with people that have jointly purchased homes, listed others as beneficiaries, will agreements, joint bank accounts and many other legal agreements that you might take for granted.

This entire subject is very personal and private to me. I would never discuss something of this nature with anyone other than my partner, for those that know me, you already know even writing this email is extremely uncomfortable for me. While I might agree and respect the sanctity of marriage, I do not agree with the wording of this amendment. It restricts me from legally securing my personal and financial affairs in my life. This is extremely humiliating to me. I have confirmed with three different law firms and even spoke with a retired judge to confirm the implication of this amendment to all unmarried individuals. This amendment simply goes too far.

I sincerely ask you to vote against this amendment in November. Virginia already has at least 2 different laws in place that protect marriage. This amendment not only goes too far, but it is simply unnecessary.

As your relative, friend, associate and neighbor. I respectfully ask you to vote against this amendment in November. Please vote "NO" and encourage your friends and family members to also vote "NO". I rarely ask anyone for anything, this time my plea is very important.