Equal opportunity rights in Loudoun County, VA, were expanded to include rights for gay, lesbian and transgender residents.
On January 5, 2010, the county supervisors voted to include language in the county’s Human Resources Policy Handbook that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The initiative was proposed by supervisor Stevens Miller, D-Dulles, who called the initiative “the right thing to do.”
The supervisors spent about one hour – yes, not even a full hour – before casting the votes, according to Loudoun Times Mirror.
Legally, it means that men who like to dress as women can be found in the ladies’ public restrooms and transgender women can be found in men’s public restrooms.
Is legalizing medical marijuana next on the table?
Now, I’m a realtor and this blog is about real estate. So why is it important?
As a REALTOR, I am very mindful of the Federal Fair Housing Laws which protect all citizens of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
However, it does NOT change the fact that when people purchase a house they purchase most of all a HOME where they feel comfortable. Families with children purchase a home where they can raise children.
While some home buyers will see this legal protection for gays, lesbians and transgenders as welcome and progressive, other home buyers will see it as too “modern” and may choose to purchase in neighboring counties.
A bigger question is: did the taxpayers and citizens of this great county have their say in that decision?
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SOURCE: Loudoun Times-Mirror
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Sweetheart, you are very uninformed about trans people, but that’s your problem to correct. I’ll make sure that nobody I know EVER uses you as an agent. Thanks for the information.
http://www.facebook.com/daviddweintraub
http://www.equalityloudoun.org/
http://www.stjamesucc-love.org/
Hello David,
I would like to make a few points:
1) Please do NOT call me *sweetheart* because I do NOT even know you, and judging by your ATTITUDE there is very little probability that you and I could possibly be *friends*
2) This BLOG is strictly about REAL ESTATE — it is NOT pro or against transgender or any other sexual orientation group. The purpose of this BLOG is to inform real estate buyers, sellers, homeowners about real estate market in Northern Virginia.
3) The blog: http://viviannerutkowski.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/loudoun-county-in-virginia-going-gay-lesbian-and-transgender/ was based on THE LOUDOUN TIMES MIRROR report and was published because GOVERNMENT policies – on country, state, county, or town level – DO AFFECT REAL ESTATE!!! Those policies also influence home buyers’ and home sellers’ decisions.
4) Home Buyers cannot discriminate or violate the federal FAIR HOUSING LAWS, but home buyers DO HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to make INFORMED DECISIONS and have the right to purchase a HOME that fits their LIFESTYLE. Home Buyers can also VOID a contract for any reason using one of the contingencies – including IF they happen to learn that the neighbor is transgender and the home buyer does not approve of such lifestyle. ….. likewise a transgender home buyer CAN void a contract if he/she decides that the neighbors are NOT pro-transgender enough. It truly would be a VERY VERY sad day if HOME BUYERS were denied the right to make an INFORMED decision regarding the purchase of their HOME. – ALL home buyers: transgender, straight, short, tall.
5) Home Sellers, by federal and state law, cannot discriminate against transgender people or homosexuals, ex. by denying to sell their home to transgender or homosexuals. However, such county government policies are of importance to SELLERS because if majority of buyers react negatively to such laws, it can drive home prices DOWN. Even if majority of buyers react POSITIVELY to such laws, it changes the CULTURE in the county or town and by default such government policies are of GREAT significance to people residing in that jurisdiction!!!
6) You or your friends are NOT obligated to use me as your agent – it still is a FREE country!
7) As a REALTOR, by law, I cannot violate Fair Housing Laws and could NOT deny real estate service to transgender or homosexual people – I would risk losing my license if I did. However, I CAN refuse to work with you and/or your transgender friends based on your personal BEHAVIOR or ATTITUDE. Right now, your attitude is very aggressive and discriminatory towards others and I am not certain that I would want to work with you for SAFETY reasons.
This is one of the most disgusting blog posts I have ever read. Do you truly believe that people might not buy a house in Loudoun County because County Government employees are protected from discrimination? You know, it’s not like there was rampant discrimination before the resolution passed.
Has there been a flood of trans people filling jobs at the County just because now they won’t be discriminated against? In all likelihood, very little (if anything) has changed within the County Government.
You might like to ask the next potential homebuyer: “You know, County Government employees can’t be fired just because they’re gay or trans, unlike some other counties in Virginia. Does that affect whether you want to live here?” I’m pretty sure they’d look at you like you’re from another planet.
73% of Americans believe that NO ONE should be fired because they’re gay or trans, and I’m sure the percentage in Loudoun County is much higher. All we’re talking about here is one employer within the County publically committing to following a policy that the vast majority of people within the County agrees with.
Wow… this post is so misinformed on so many levels that I don’t know where to begin. It is true that the BoS forbade discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity solely for purposes of government hiring. The Board’s action did not effect public accommodations, and therefore was not quite as sweeping as you imply.
Second, to anyone reading this post and your comments, it is pretty obvious that the post is anti-LGBT. It is incredibly disingenuous for you to imply otherwise. I’d think you would give your readers a little credit for being intelligent.
Third, I’d love to see a follow-up post on this blog where you comment on the culture changes that have taken place in “this great county of ours” since the Board made this change and describe the mass exodus of heteronormative people from the county.
Fourth, I think it’d be a hoot to replace “transgender/homosexuals” in your post and comments with “blacks.” To wit:
“While some home buyers will see this legal protection for blacks as welcome and progressive, other home buyers will see it as too “modern” and may choose to purchase in neighboring counties.”
” I CAN refuse to work with you and/or your black friends based on BEHAVIOR or ATTITUDE.”
Fifth, you overuse CAPS and bold.
http://votedavebutler.com/content/statement-outer-beltway
With all due respect Mr. Butler, but as Leesburg Town Councilman you should be able to recognize the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION.
Are you suggesting that government can pass a LAW and people have NO RIGHT to discuss it???
The purpose of this blog was to share information that home buyers might want to consider in their decision to purchase a home. Clearly, you are denying Loudoun County citizens their First Amendment rights. To refresh your memory here is the Wikipidia simplified version of The First Amendment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
You can purchase U.S. Constitution in any book store or a packet version on this website: http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am1.html
This blog is ALL ABOUT NORTHERN VIRGINIA REAL ESTATE.
1) YOU WROTE: ” I think it’d be a hoot to replace “transgender/homosexuals” in your post and comments with “blacks.” To wit:
“While some home buyers will see this legal protection for blacks as welcome and progressive, other home buyers will see it as too “modern” and may choose to purchase in neighboring counties.”
ANSWER: As a REALTOR I have represented many African Americans – please, do NOT play the *black* card on me; you are using a very oversimplified logic.
2) YOU WROTE: “I CAN refuse to work with you and/or your black friends based on BEHAVIOR or ATTITUDE.”
ANSWER: Real estate agents CAN LEGALLY refuse to work with ANYONE – white, black, green, pink, purple – based on BEHAVIOR or ATTITUDE problems simply for SAFETY reasons.