Virginia board bucks Cuccinelli’s advice, approves gay nondiscrimination policy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-politics/virginia-board-bucks-cuccinellis-advice-approves-gay-nondiscrimination-policy/2012/01/10/gIQApatZpP_story.html
Virginia board bucks Cuccinellis advice, approves gay nondiscrimination policy
By Anita Kumar, Published: January 10
The board that oversees Virginias juvenile correctional facilities agreed Tuesday, for a second time, to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation despite being counseled against such action by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II.
The board voted 5 to 1, rejecting Cuccinellis contention that only the General Assembly can designate a special class of citizens.
The Department of Juvenile Justice operates five facilities and a diagnostic facility, and the Board of Juvenile Justice sets broad policy for the agency. More than 800 juveniles are housed in the institutions.
Equality Virginia, a gay rights group, has touted a national study estimating that 8 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls in juvenile detention identify their sexuality as other than heterosexual.