An openly gay prosecutor has been appointed in Virginia to take the bench as a district judge, despite the state General Assembly's rejection of his nomination last month.

Tracy Thorne-Begland, whose appointment by Richmond Circuit Court judges will begin July 1, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "I am humbled by the circuit court's decision."

"I look forward to serving the citizens of the city of Richmond as a jurist and, over the coming months, I hope that my service provides comfort to all Virginians that I remain committed to the faithful application of the laws and constitutions of Virginia and the United States of America," he said.

The appointment comes just weeks after Virginia delegate Robert Marshall led the effort to block Thorne-Begland from taking the bench. Calling the prosecutor an "aggressive activist for the pro-homosexual agenda," Marshall had threatened to offer an amendment to block the nomination if the state General Assembly didn't vote to reject his nomination.

"You could preside as a district judge for a marriage of two guys if he wanted to, in violation of the law," Marshall said in an interview last month. "Moreover, if you have a bar room fight between a homosexual and heterosexual, I'm concerned about possible bias."

The Times-Dispatch noted that Thorne-Begland's appointment is expected to face opposition in the next session of the General Assembly.