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Virginia Governor Signs Executive Order Banning LGBT Discrimination

"This policy will ensure there is no question that all Virginians are to receive the full benefits of their citizenship," said Gov. Terry McAuliffe

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order today that prohibits discrimination among state agencies and contractors based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Going into effect today, Executive Order 61 extends an order McAuliffe signed in 2014 banning anti-LGBT discrimination by government workers.

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 26: Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) delivers remarks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received the number of votes needed to secure the party's nomination. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“Virginia is home to the best state workforce in the country," said McAuliffe in a statement. "This policy will ensure there is no question that all Virginians are to receive the full benefits of their citizenship, without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Equality Virginia, the state's leading LGBT rights group, praised the action as "a huge leap forward in our goal toward becoming a state that is a safe, welcoming, and equal place for all Virginians."

"This policy is simply good business practice—taxpayers should expect that their money will not be used to support organizations that discriminate," said Equality Virginia director James Parrish. "It goes a long way towards keeping Virginia competitive to businesses and aligns the Commonwealth’s practices with those of most Fortune 500 companies.”

While marriage equality was settled in the Supreme Court, the battle for equality is increasingly being waged on the state level—and not usually ending in our favor.

In April, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed HB 1840, giving therapists the right to refuse LGBT patients. And today, lawmakers in Texas just filed a North Carolina-style "bathroom bill" that would bar trans people from using the facilities that match their gender identity.

A similar measure, the Physical Privacy Act, was introduced in the Virginia General Assembly on Tuesday—it additionally orders principals to notify parents within 24 hours if their child “requests to be recognized or treated as the opposite sex.”

McAuliffe says he would veto the bill if it makes it to his desk.

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