Mark Herring on Civil Rights

Governor should resign after wearing blackface, but not me

Since acknowledging that he, too, had dressed in blackface as a young man, Herring took pains to differentiate his situation from Northam's. "The governor had said he was in the [blackface] photo." Herring said. "The next day, the governor came out with a different and contradictory account, and that was when there was an erosion of trust. That was what my [resignation] statement was about. It was really about the public trust. I would hold myself to the same standard."

After Northam's revelations, Herring said he "agonized" about whether to disclose that he dressed in blackface for a party as a 19-year-old student at U.Va. He said ultimately decided to do so on his own, dismissing the idea that his hand was forced by questions from the media.

Roll back institutionalizing discrimination in our laws

Roll back efforts to take away voting rights

Rated 100% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 HRC scores as follows:

• 0% - 20%: opposes gay rights (approx. 207 members)
• 20% - 70%: mixed record on gay rights (approx. 84 members)
• 70%-100%: supports gay rights (approx. 177 members)

The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Ever since its founding in 1980, HRC has led the way in promoting fairness for GLBT Americans. HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity.