In the first session in over two decades with the governor's office and both houses under Democratic control, the General Assembly passed extensive legislation affecting everything from LGBTQ rights to gun control and marijuana decriminalization. Virginia lawmakers...
Ghazala Hashmi: From Personal Crisis to Senate Victory
For Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim to serve in Virginia's state Senate, her victory in this month's election is a fortuitous opportunity to make progress for Virginia's more vulnerable communities. “It was back in 2017 that I had a moment of personal crisis,” said...
Hashmi’s Election Draws Racist Comments on Facebook
Virginia state Senator-elect Ghazala Hashmi will be the first Muslim to serve in Virginia's legislature, and a lot of racists on social media just can't stop crying about it. Days after Virginia’s legislative elections, racist comments continued to flood news stories...
Opinion: We Have A Blue Virginia. What Will We Do With It?
GayRVA Editor-In-Chief Marilyn Drew Necci has an extensive wish list for our new Democratic General Assembly, one that starts with LGBTQ civil rights and goes a lot farther from there. Well, it's finally happened -- no matter how your mom or your Trump-loving former...
Candidate Debates Spotlight Closely Contested General Assembly Races
With control of the General Assembly at stake, Republican incumbents Kirk Cox and Glen Sturtevant faced their Democratic challengers, Ghazala Hashmi and Sheila Bynum-Coleman, in contentious debates last week. Republican incumbents fighting to keep seats in the 10th...
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