On July 1, the “Virginia Values Act,” went into effect. The law “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public and private employment, public accommodations, and access to credit.”
Governor Northam claims the bill ensures that “Virginia is a place where all people are welcome to live, work, visit, and raise a family.” But wedding and adventure photographer Chris Herring worries that promise doesn’t include people of faith like him. While he gladly serves clients of all backgrounds and orientations, he cannot use his talents at events that violate his faith, including same-sex weddings.
Should Herring refuse to photograph gay weddings or even post about them on his own blog site, he’d face catastrophic fines.
With the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom, Herring has filed a pre-enforcement challenge against the state of Virginia, which joins Kentucky, Colorado, Washington and Arizona as states that discriminate against people of faith in the name of non-discrimination.
Copyright 2020 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.
