The Virginia House of Delegates early yesterday rejected the nomination of an openly gay man for a judgeship on the General District Court in Richmond after social conservatives orchestrated a drive to keep him off the bench.  Tracey Thorne-Begland, a Richmond prosecutor, was supported by a bipartisan majority in the House Courts of Justice Committee, but a last-minute campaign to thwart his confirmation gained steam quickly Monday, and a 1 a.m. vote on the matter caught his supporters off guard.  His confirmation was rejected by a vote of 33-31, with 10 delegates abstaining.  Judicial nominees require at least 51 votes in the Virginia House to be confirmed.

Delegate Bob Marshall, a Republican from Prince William County who led the opposition, said Thorne-Begland’s past advocacy for LGBT equality disqualified him from serving as a judge.  Two decades ago Thorne-Begland, a former naval officer, went on ABC’s Nightline to say that he was gay–an admission that led to his discharge from the U.S. Navy

“It is hard to think about what happened at the General Assembly and not conclude that it is a form of bigotry,” Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “It causes people around the country to question Virginia’s ability to be tolerant and to be inclusive.”

Virginia Sen Adam Ebbin, a Democrat and the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, told the Associated Press he was “ashamed and disgusted” by the vote.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell issued a statement seeming to condemn the vote.  ”If anyone voted against Mr. Thorne-Begland because of his sexual orientation, that would be very disappointing and unacceptable,” the statement read.  But the progressive news blog Talking Points Memo noted McDonnell has evolved on this issue, pointing to a 2003 quote in which the then-chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee said a nominee’s homosexuality “raises some questions about the qualifications to serve as a judge.”

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the national Log Cabin Republicans, slammed the vote in a statement to GayPolitics.com: “The rejection of highly qualified Richmond prosecutor, Tracy Thorne-Begland, for the post of General District Court judge is an embarrassment to Republicans in Virginia. Delegate Bob Marshall’s use of a man’s military service and his commitment to family against him flies in the face of true conservative values. As Governor McDonnell said, Thorne-Begland’s nomination should have been considered solely on his merit, record, aptitude and skill,” Cooper said.

UPDATE:  Log Cabin Republicans also issued a statement today via their blog:  ”Log Cabin Republicans strongly condemn the actions of the Virginia Delegates that voted against Thorne-Begland on the basis of his sexual orientation. The Richmond prosecutor has qualifications tailor-made for a judgeship on Richmond’s General District Court. Thorne-Begland is a former naval aviator, a graduate of University of Richmond’s School of Law, and has served more than 10 years as a prosecutor. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have been confirmed.”

GOP leaders in the Colorado House of Representatives last night again blocked a floor vote on a civil unions bill, but next time could be different if the state’s numerous gay and lesbian legislative candidates have anything to say about it.

Four non-incumbents have been endorsed by the Victory Fund–three House candidates and one candidate for the Senate.  If they win and join the four out legislators now serving, Colorado would have one of the largest LGBT legislative caucuses in the U.S., and their victories could ensure a floor vote on civil unions.

The out non-incumbent candidates endorsed by Victory are:

Jessie Ulibarri, Senate District 21 (pictured with his family)

Dominick Moreno, House District 32

Paul Rosenthal, House District 9

Joann Ginal, House District 52

This year’s civil unions legislation was sponsored by Rep. Mark Ferrandino, the openly gay House Minority Leader.  It won bipartisan support in committee votes throughout last week, but House Speaker Frank McNulty used procedural delays to prevent an up-or-down vote by the entire chamber, where it was expected to pass.  McNulty was able to kill the measure again Monday night during a special session called this week by Gov. John Hickenlooper, a strong supporter of the civil unions bill.

One Colorado, the statewide LGBT group, said it would now turn its focus to ousting McNulty.  ”We must fight back.  They must be held accountable,” said Brad Clark, the group’s executive director.

Ferrandino and his House colleague, Rep. Sue Schafer, joined their out counterparts in the Senate–Sens. Pat Steadman and Lucia Guzman–in urging their colleagues to give same-sex couples many of the legal rights, benefits and responsibilities afforded to married couples, and they vowed to keep fighting.

“(W)e’re going to work hard to make sure the public understands what happened, the games that were played, and next we’re going to push it again.  And as I’ve said a number of times, it’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when.’ And the ‘when’ keeps getting sooner and sooner. This will happen,” said Ferrandino.

President Barack Obama today said he now supports allowing same-sex couples to marry, a remarkable moment in the history of LGBT civil rights.  Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe issued the following message in response to the news:

Remember this moment.

Minutes ago Barack Obama became the first American president to say he supports allowing loving, committed same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages.  I want to congratulate the president for this bold and welcome move.

This is a watershed moment for the LGBT civil rights movement, but it’s also a call to action.  A president’s vocal support for our community is a fantastic asset, but nothing can replace the hard work it will take to ensure we win the rights we deserve.

This year in Maryland and Washington state, marriage equality laws long sought by openly gay and lesbian state lawmakers were finally passed.  Those successes came after determined efforts by coalitions of national, state and local LGBT groups, as well as tireless lobbying by the men and women whose lives would be most affected by these victories.

This year we have the opportunity to greatly expand our community’s voice in government.   We will elect LGBT lawmakers who will fight for us every day.  And now they will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their president as they ask their fellow Americans for the simple protections and responsibilities that come with marriage.

Rep. Marcus Brandon, North Carolina’s only openly gay state legislator, has won his first reelection bid in a primary rematch against the Democrat he defeated in 2010.

“This is a tough night in North Carolina, but Marcus Brandon’s win is one sign that there’s hope for a brighter future for LGBT North Carolinians,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which endorsed and supported Brandon’s campaign.

With 26 of 31 precincts reporting in Guilford County’s House District 60, Brandon led his opponent by some 2,000 votes.  But the state’s voters also approved a constitutional amendment banning marriage and civil unions for same-sex couples, a move even some Republican legislators said they expected would be reversed in as little as two decades by today’s youth.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund today announced it has endorsed Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat, in his race for Congress.  Maloney, who is running in New York’s 18th Congressional District, becomes the eighth federal candidate to receive Victory’s endorsement in 2012, a new record for the group.

“Sean will be New York’s first openly gay Member of Congress, and his victory will give all LGBT Americans another strong voice on Capitol Hill,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.

“Victory Fund’s endorsement is key, and I am especially grateful for their support,” said Maloney. “Throughout my career, I have pushed hard for LGBT equality, and will continue doing so in Congress.  This is in direct contrast to a freshman class of Tea Party Republicans, who, while claiming to advocate for fiscal restraint, have spent nearly a million dollars in taxpayer money to defend DOMA.”

Maloney was previously an adviser to President Bill Clinton, and was the youngest person ever appointed to serve as White House staff secretary.  He has since served as a top adviser to New York Governors Elliot Spitzer and David Paterson, and is currently a partner in a New York law firm.

His endorsement was approved by the Victory Campaign Board among a slate of 18 candidates put forward in April.  Victory has now endorsed 105 candidates for races in 2012, and the group expects that number will reach 200 before Election Day this November.