# Defense of Marriage in Virginia **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 26, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defense-of-marriage-in-virginia/378024 "2006-10-26T21:14:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 21
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defense-of-marriage-in-virginia/378024/21 "2006-10-27T14:43:29Z")
[QUOTE=monica] Let’s say that Bob and Sue had, for whatever reason, never wanted to get married, but they have a civil union. There are some companies (I believe the Sallie May Foundation is one of them, but I’m not positive) that do give benefits to their employee’s partner in a relationship like that. These places would no longer be allowed to do so, so they might actually move to another state. [/QUOTE] This is not true. Regardless of whether this amendment passes or not, civil unions have already been banned in Virginia as of 2004. This is based on ignorance of existing law. This amendment will “merely” turn an existing act into state constitution. > [@](#): > > Now, let’s talk about Dave and Alice, who are not married but living together and have been doing so for many years. If Dave physically abuses Alice, it would not be domestic violence, it would be battery, which is a lesser charge. Thus, Dave would face fewer penalties for beating up the woman he’s been living with for years than he would have had they been married. Unless you’re married or related to a person, legally, you’d beconsidered no more than strangers on the street. This is also not true, according to [Virginia Code 18.2-57.2](http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-57.2), Virginia defines what most states call domestic violence as “assault and battery against a family or househould member”. A “family or household member” is defined in [Virginia Code 16.1-228](http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+16.1-228) which includes, among the obvious family and spouse, “any individual who cohabits or who, within 12 months, cohabited with the person”. Thus, this law seems to apply equally to abusing a spouse, a live-in girlfriend, a roommate, or a live-in homosexual partner. Hence, this amendment will have no affect on this law. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defense-of-marriage-in-virginia/378024)._