Virginia is the first state in the South to make it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the Virginia Values Act into law this past Friday, making the state the first in the South to pass a law protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.

The bill, which was passed by the state legislature earlier this year, adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s current civil rights laws banning discrimination in employment, housing, and credit.

Related: Virginia Democrats walk out as GOP-invited pastor denigrates gay people on House floor

“This legislation sends a strong, clear message — Virginia is a place where all people are welcome to live, work, visit, and raise a family,” Northam said in a statement.

“We are building an inclusive Commonwealth where there is opportunity for everyone, and everyone is treated fairly. No longer will LGBTQ Virginians have to fear being fired, evicted, or denied service in public places because of who they are.”

In November, Democrats took control of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in 26 years, allowing the state’s General Assembly to pass bills that Republican lawmakers had blocked for decades.

Last month, Virginia became the first state in the South to….

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