Collegiate Times

All across Virginia yesterday, citizens voted in favor of passing Ballot Question Number 1, or, as it has been popularly coined, the Marriage Amendment. Politically, conservatives were expected to vote yes for the amendment, while liberals were expected to vote against it. This referendum stood as the controversial issue for the 2006 senate election, and was supposed to reiterate the law already banning civil union the union between two members of the same sex.

The amendment states, ?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.?

Virginia?s current constitution did not define marriage; however, according to statutory law, marriage between same-sex couples, brothers and sisters and the marriage couples where one party is married to someone else is prohibited. The new amendment will emphasize these current prohibitions by making same-sex marriage unconstitutional and affect all unmarried couples whether they are heterosexual or homosexual.

Democrats view the amendment as unnecessary and wrong.

?It is a completely hateful amendment,? said Christina Pe?a, president of Virginia Tech?s Young Democrats.

In addition they believe that language of the amendment is confusing and dangerous towards everyone whether they are heterosexual or homosexual. Under the amendment there are unintended consequences such as the loss of protective orders from assailants and protection from domestic violence Pe?a said. Other consequences include the inability to make end-of-life decisions, loss of ownership of real property as joint tenants with or without a right of survivorship, she said.

?This goes for couples who are engaged as well,? Pe?a said. ?It will repeal the rights of all unmarried couples.?

Republicans, however, see the amendment differently. They won their battle by encouraging Virginians to vote yes on the amendment mainly for religious reasons.

?Marriage is a holy sacrament between a man and woman, and we should keep it that way,? said Jess Dawson from Students 4 marriage.

In the eyes of Republicans, the amendment is written so that it won?t affect unmarried couples. Unlike the Democrats, they believe that domestic violence issues will not be affected in any way.

?Virginia law is written to protect domestic violence,? Dawson said.

The voting for this amendment comes on heels of the New Jersey Supreme Court legalizing marriage between same-sex couples.

The College Republicans declined to comment the matter.

Scott Russell, an Episcopal campus minister and a member of the LGBT Caucus, warned that citizens needed to realize the implications of the amendment. He noted that it extends beyond gay couples, and affects unmarried persons as well as straight unmarried couples.

?Regardless of people?s stance on gay marriage itself, its bad legislation. It?s vaguely and broadly worded and it seems like a Pandora?s Box,? Russell said. ?This legislation should horrify any right-thinking Virginian. In the end, it?s based on religious objection, not civil objection. It would be writing religious opinions into the Virginia Bill of Rights, and the repercussions could be rather extreme and far reaching.?