Virginia GOP Censures Lawmaker For Officiating Same-Sex Wedding

Denver Riggleman, a GOP State Representative in Virginia leaving office this year, has been unanimously censured by a House Committee for, ahem, betraying the party’s values.

He officiated a same-sex wedding for two male campaign aides he described as "friends" and that gets you smacked by the GOP … in 2020. A statement issued by the Appomattox County Republican Committee read, in part:

"In July 2019, Denver Riggleman officiated a same sex wedding which in turn goes against the values and principles of the Republican Party betraying and disregarding the concerns for the many Conservative and Christian voters in the 5th district who elected Denver Riggleman to the United States House of Representatives."

Yes, he officiated at the ceremony nearly 17 months ago; man, the Virginia GOP holds a grudge, except there’s more that he did that is also terrible, for goose-stepping traitorous members of the ReTHUGlican party.

He condemned _____ for his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and was one of the first in his party to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden. And the GOP said, of that:

"We will hold accountable all Republican elected officials to stand by the Virginia Republican Creed and National Republican Platform, and to support all our Republican nominees."

Even when they lose the popular vote.

Even when they lose the Electoral vote.

Even when they lose all of those recounts.

Even when they lose nearly 50 lawsuits in courts all around this country.

Even when they lose at the Supreme Court.

Riggleman was elected in 2018 but lost his re-election bid during a Republican state convention—after performing that same-sex wedding—over the summer, took to Twitter to respond:

"Glad the [Virginia GOP] finally admits they rig a convention because of the wedding. We already knew this, but here's your sign."

Shortly after he officiated that same-sex wedding, Riggleman shared his thoughts on same-sex marriage:

“My real belief is that government shouldn’t be involved in marriage at all, but if it is, everybody has to be treated equally before the law."

Simply, nicely put; but let’s be clear, Riggleman isn’t the LGBTQ+ ally he appears to be; his stance on marriage is simple: everyone should be allowed to be married, but he voted against the Equality Act, a proposed bill that would have added sexual orientation and gender identity protections to existing civil rights law and voted against a resolution opposing _____'s ban of transgender people from serving in the military last year.

So, he doesn’t like The Gays, but he doesn’t have a problem with us getting married, and the GOP, not just in Virginia, has a problem with anything resembling acceptance of LGBTQ+ Americans.

So, I will thank Riggleman for his small step, and ask that he consider the fact that if we are allowed to be married, shouldn’t we also be treated equally under every law in this country? And should we, whether L, G, B, T, or +, be allowed to serve our country if we so choose?

Not so in Virginia, I’m afraid, because Riggleman’s replacement in state government is on ReTHUGlican Bob Good, a self-described "biblical conservative" who called the coronavirus outbreak a "phony pandemic" just this month.

Goddess help Virginians when their own representatives think 317,000+ Americans are the results of a phony pandemic.

NBC News