WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review appeals from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages, paving the way for same-sex marriage in Virginia:     

“Allowing people to marry who they love is the fundamentally right thing to do, and it strengthens our families and communities. This is a remarkable and memorable day in Virginia’s march toward equality,” Sen. Warner said.  

Sen. Warner was the first Virginia Governor to sign an executive order banning state workforce discrimination based on sexual orientation. In the Senate, he voted to repeal the U.S. military’s discriminatory “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.