Issue of Marriage Equality Enters Alexandria City Council Race

The Holihan Campaign for City Council criticized incumbent Republican Councilman Frank Fannon for characterizing the issue of marriage equality as a “divisive issue.”

Gay Democratic council candidate Sean Holihan, who works for NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said: “Alexandria is an amazingly inclusive community…to call equality a divisive issue” shows “I don’t know what city [Fannon’s] living in, but it’s not Alexandria.”

The Holihan campaign sent a press release Thursday morning outlining that in April, national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender advocacy organization Freedom to Marry asked Mayor Bill Euille to sign its statement supporting marriage equality for gay and lesbian citizens.

In turn, Euille asked other members of council via email whether they thought it was prudent to support the group and issue. According to Holihan’s campaign, which obtained the email exchange through a Freedom of Information Act request, all members of council except for Fannon voiced their support for marriage equality.

Councilwoman Alicia Hughes did not expressly voice her support for marriage equality, but encouraged the mayor to show his support.

"From what I see, this is directed expressly to you and represents your view as mayor, which makes my view immaterial," she said in the email exchange obtained by Patch. "If you are moved to sign it, I think you should."

Fannon told Patch that he did suggest “that City Council stay out of this because it is a divisive issue" and not one that council can legislate on, adding “if this is one of Holihan’s lead initiatives, he should consider running for the House of Delegates next year instead of City Council this year.”

Daniel Roth, president of the Alexandria Gay and Lesbian Community Association, said marriage equality is an important issue on the local level and with local leaders.

"When I pay my taxes, register my car and pay into government, no one cares what my sexual orientation is, and I am expected to pay the same as everyone else. It is only when I ask for equal benefits from the state and country that I pay equally into that suddenly sexual orientation becomes an issue," he said. "Making sure that all Americans are treated the same and afforded equal rights--including marriage equality--should be an American ideal, and not a divisive issue. There is nothing more local and personal than who we love, and elected leaders at every level of government have come out to support marriage equality because it advances the value that indeed we should be treated equally under the law."

The LGBT Democrats of Virginia on Thursday afternoon released a statement: “Embracing all families and respecting all love is hardly a divisive issue for the people of Alexandria. This is just one more example of how out of touch Republicans are with the communities they represent. It may be true that some outside of Alexandria could criticize the councilman for supporting the families and people he represents, but true leadership is always about standing up for what is right in the face of adversity. Regardless of whether Councilman Fannon's decision reflects an unwillingness to take that stand or a personal belief that some Alexandrians are less deserving of equality than others, the fact remains that he has no place as an elected official. I am confident that voters will not forget that come November.”

President Obama on Wednesday offered his support for same-sex marriage.