"The Virginia House of Delegates rejected the judicial nomination of a gay prosecutor on Tuesday after conservative Republican lawmakers argued that the nominee would press an activist agenda.
Early on Tuesday morning, the House voted 33-to-31, with 10 abstentions, against the candidacy of Tracy Thorne-Begland, who was nominated for a judgeship on the General District Court in Richmond. Mr. Thorne-Begland, a deputy commonwealth attorney in Richmond, needed a majority of the 100-member House to be confirmed. He would have been the state’s first openly gay judge.
Mr. Thorne-Begland, a former fighter pilot, disclosed his sexual orientation as a Naval officer almost 20 years ago, in a challenge to the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy barring gays from service. He was honorably discharged after the disclosure.
Mr. Thorne-Begland, who is raising twins with his partner, has served on the board of Equality Virginia, a gay rights group. His partner is also a lawyer, according to the group's Web site.
Conservatives, including Delegate Bob Marshall, a Republican from Prince William County, argued that certain aspects of Mr. Thorne-Begland's biography meant that he would not be able to be impartial if he became a judge, an assertion that those supporting Mr. Thorne-Begland disputed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/us/politics/gay-prosecutor-is-denied-judgeship-in-virginia.html?_r=1&hp
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