Virginia governor Bob McDonnell has a really sly sense of humor. Or he’s a horse’s ass.
- On Feb 5, McDonnell reversed the policies of the two previous governors by NOT including sexual orientation in his executive order banning discrimination in state employment.
- On March 10, McDonnell issued a directive telling state agencies not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, but this directive — unlike an executive order — is not legally binding.
No other category has been subject to this treatment. The executive order covered race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation, and disabilities. Only sexual orientation protection has been downgraded from “executive order” to toothless “directive.”
The irony is funny sad funny sad stupid. By issuing a mere directive telling the state not to discriminate against gays, McDonnell is…discriminating against gays.
But the thing that really puzzles me is that the directive, nonbinding as it is, makes the point that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a violation of the Federal Equal Protection clause of the Constitution. That’s a pretty astonishing statement by, of all things, a Republican. If he is making that point, he necessarily has to concede that a) gays are a protected class and b) same sex marriage is constitutionally-mandated. Either he’s shooting his mouth off trying to score niceness points without thinking the consequences of his statements through all the way, or he secretly love the gays. I’m guessing it’s the former.
Yes and this is the same governor who gave the response to President Obama’s first state of the union address. While using his son’s to create humor in that speech, I was not impressed in the least. And I am not surprised by anything this governor has to say or do.