Va. order bans discrimination against gays

RICHMOND, Va., March 10 (UPI) -- Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has issued a directive to state employees saying workplace discrimination, including bias against gays, is prohibited.

McDonnell's move Wednesday came amid widespread gay rights protests on college campuses in the week since state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II directed the state's public colleges and universities to remove references to sexual orientation from their non-discrimination policies, the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported. The Republican attorney general says only the General Assembly can extend to gays legal protection against non-discrimination.

In his directive, McDonnell, a first-term Republican, said discrimination based on factors including sexual orientation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Discrimination in hiring, promotion, compensation, treatment, discipline and termination of state employees "will not be tolerated by this administration," the directive said.

Violations will bring disciplinary action ranging from reprimand to termination, McDonnell said.

The directive drew praise from the gay rights group Equality Virginia, which called it "a major positive step forward," The Washington Post reported. The group pledged to continue its push for legislation extending legal protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

More than 1,000 people at Virginia Commonwealth University protested Cuccinelli's opinion Wednesday, chanting "Down with Hate." Some of them then marched on the State Capitol in Richmond.

Cuccinelli said he welcomed the directive but did not indicate whether he supported McDonnell's legal reasoning.

"I expect Virginia's state employees to follow all state and federal anti-discrimination laws and will enforce Virginia's laws to the fullest extent," he said.