Same-sex marriage is technically unconstitutional in Virginia

The Senate of Virginia has passed a proposal which aims to remove a defunct ban on same-sex marriage in the state’s constitution – but it’s likely to fail.

Although same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in Virginia since 2014, a year before the US Supreme Court ruling that made marriage equality the law of the land, the state’s constitution still defines marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman”.

Four Republicans joined Democrats in the Virginia Senate on Tuesday (15 February) to approve a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal this.

The proposed amendment must now pass the state House of Representatives in order to be added as a voter referendum in November during the midterm elections.

Despite the positive vote, however, it is believed that the proposal is likely to be rejected, as Republicans on a House subcommittee struck down the same proposal last week, the Los Angeles Blade reported.