They’re Rewriting Marriage While They Still Can

Jairus Abiasen, Pexels

This November, Virginia voters will decide a question that reaches far beyond politics. On the ballot is a measure to erase the state constitution’s definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It is the latest move in a push by left-leaning states to rewrite their founding documents while cultural sentiment still leans their way.

The Blue-State Push to Rewrite Marriage

Virginia is not acting alone. Nevada removed the marriage definition from its constitution in 2020, and California, Colorado, and Hawaii each did the same in 2024. Virginia would become the fifth state to strike that language if the measure passes in November.

The timing is no accident. These are progressive strongholds where left-leaning majorities can push constitutional change with little resistance, and they are moving now, while public opinion still gives them the advantage. A “yes” vote erases the man-and-woman standard. A “no” vote keeps it written into the state’s highest law.

A constitution, though, is not meant to follow the mood of a single season. It is meant to preserve the truths a people will still need long after the mood has passed. Removing the definition of marriage is not a small housekeeping step. It is a deliberate rewrite of how a state understands the family itself.

A Foundation as Old as the Nation

From the very birth of our nation, man’s civil law recognized marriage as God designed it: the union of one man and one woman. This was not a partisan preference or a passing custom. It was the settled understanding that every generation of Americans relied upon as they built their homes and their communities.

That design serves a purpose far deeper than sentiment. The union of a man and a woman is the union that brings forth and raises the next generation. Procreation is the very thing that allows a society to continue at all, and the family formed by that union is the first place a child learns love, faith, and responsibility.

Scripture roots marriage in creation itself: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Jesus affirmed that same design when He pointed His listeners back to the beginning. What God established at creation, civil law once had the wisdom to honor and protect.

The Ground Is Shifting

For years the public conversation seemed to move in only one direction. That trend has begun to slow, and by some measures reverse. Recent polling shows support has been slipping, especially among Americans who once appeared most settled on the question.

According to Gallup, Republican support for recognizing same-sex marriage has fallen to 41 percent, its lowest level since the Obergefell decision. The same survey found a record partisan divide of 47 points, the widest gap Gallup has recorded since it first asked the question in 1996. Just 38 percent of Republicans told Gallup that same-sex relationships are morally acceptable.

Lawmakers are responding to that shift, too. In March, the Idaho House passed a resolution urging the Supreme Court to reconsider Obergefell and, in the words of its sponsor, restore the natural definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The measure passed on a 44-to-26 vote, a sign that the momentum once thought unstoppable is fading.

This is exactly why the timing of these amendments matters. The very cultural support that makes them possible is beginning to erode, and the people pushing them know it. They are racing to lock in new language before the ground shifts beneath them.

Christians Must Stand Now

The choice in Virginia is clear for those who believe marriage was designed by God, not granted by government. A “no” vote defends the union of one man and one woman and keeps that truth in the state’s highest law. It is a vote to protect the family as the foundation of a healthy society.

For the first time in years, the wind is at our backs. The momentum has turned, and this is no moment for believers to retreat into silence. It is the moment to speak with conviction, learn what the amendment truly does, and show up to vote when the ballot arrives.

Defending marriage reaches beyond a single election as well. Million Voices has long pointed to the many ways to strengthen families, from the ballot box to the tax code, because a culture that honors marriage must back that belief with action. Every voice counts, and silence is its own decision.

Marriage is worth defending because it reflects something eternal and because a nation cannot endure without it. Virginia voters have the opportunity this fall to honor God’s design and to stand, without apology, for the truth their forefathers wrote into law and their children still need.

As believers, we are called to pray for our leaders and our nation. Pray for wisdom for those making these decisions, and for safety and dignity for all people affected by them.

That’s where we come in.

Prayer is at the heart of how Million Voices connects faith with civic life. Our Prayer Guide: Pray for Our Government Officials By Name is a free resource designed to help individuals, families, and small groups lift up the men and women who serve in public office—across every level of government and regardless of party.

Rooted in the scriptural call to pray “for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–2), the guide offers a thoughtful framework for interceding on behalf of our leaders: for wisdom in their decisions, integrity in their conduct, protection for them and their families, and a heart for serving the common good.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your personal prayer life or to gather others in praying for our nation, this guide is a meaningful place to start. Download it here: https://millionvoices.org/mv-prayer-guide-pray-for-government-officials/

We also offer an opportunity to connect faith with action. Through our Write Now Campaign, volunteers send letters to low-propensity voters in key areas, helping inspire them to engage and make their voices heard.

Ready to take the next step? Learn more or sign up to get involved: https://millionvoices.org/volunteer/

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