Virginia Governor Says No to Workplace Protections for Gays

Despite growing criticism after Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli told college and state university officials they lacked legal authority to enact sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies, Republican governor Bob McDonnell said that he did not support a law protecting LGBT state employees from workplace harassment.

Saying that he personally pledged to fight against antigay prejudice, McDonnell told reporters Friday that he "[believes] that takes care of it," WSLS 10 reports.

Virginia state senators had earlier endorsed a measure that would expand antidiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation, though the legislation failed to pass in the state assembly.

Cuccinnelli stood by his directive in a Sunday op-ed for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "A public university simply lacks the power to create a new specially protected class under Virginia law,'' he wrote.