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More Lies about Equality

by adminone | Mon, 07/06/2009 - 08:51

Davin White covers the out and out lies about the proposed Kanawha County Schools policy in yesterday's Gazette.  Check out the reader comments where commenter Jay points out to the connections to the radical Alliance Defense Fund.  For more information on the group check out MediaMatters.

Fairness WV statement to Kanawha County Board of Education

by adminone | Fri, 07/03/2009 - 10:46

Check out our statement submitted to the Kanawha County School Board and our offer to them.

Gazette's Editorial Supporting Federal Hate Crime Legislation

by adminone | Fri, 07/03/2009 - 08:26

The Gazette'seditorial lays out the case for supporting hate crimes legislation that protects people who are targeted based on their real or perceived sexual orientation

Homosexuals don't choose their condition, any more than heterosexuals choose to be "straight." It's cruel to demonize gays for circumstances beyond their control. Fairness and decency require passage of the Shepard bill. We hope all West Virginia members of Congress support this long-overdue reform."

At this point, Senators Byrd and Rockefeller have yet to vote.  Senator Rockefeller is on board, but I don't believe Byrd is committed yet. Congressmen Rahall and Mollohan voted for it while Capito voted against it in the House.

WV Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Kutil

by adam | Fri, 06/05/2009 - 11:43

Today, in a unamious ruling, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing gay foster parents in Fayette County.

In a unanimous decision released on Friday, the justices determined that Fayette Circuit Judge Paul Blake erred when he allowed the state Department of Health and Human Resources to approve the infant's removal from her foster home.

The child had lived with Kathryn Kutil and Cheryl Hess, a same-sex
couple who had already been approved as foster parents, for her entire
life after having been born to drug-addicted mother in December 2007.

Blake agreed with Thomas Fast, the child's court-appointed
guardian-ad-litem, and the DHHR's recommendation to relocate the child,
and decided that the child would be better off in a home with a
"traditional" family, i.e. a married mother and father.

This is great news for West Virginia families. According to the opinion from the court:

"It is more than apparent that the only reason why [Kutil and Hess]were being replaced as foster care providers was to promote the adoption of [the child] by what [Blake] called in his November 12, 2008, order a 'traditionally defined family, that is, a family consisting of both a mother and a father,'" the opinion reads.



A great way to end the week!

Hate Crimes Bill Passes House

by adminone | Thu, 04/30/2009 - 12:07

The NYT has a quick piece. The Washington Post covers North Carolina Rep. Fox's floor speech where she called Mathew Shepard's murder hoax.  I'm not kidding.


 How did the West Virginia delegation vote?  Rahall and Mollohan voted for it and so--called moderate Shelley Moore Capito voted against it.  Word is that Capito is repeating the falsity that pastors would be arrested for "preaching God's word."  This "argument", as pointed out on the House floor yesterday, is essentially bearing false witness.  No one could be in trouble for speech itself.   You can hate all you want in your speech.  

West Virginians should remember that in 2000, JR Warren was murdered in Marion county for being gay. 

Speaker Thompson discusses ENDA/SB 238 and his perspective discrimination

by adminone | Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:50

Speaker Rick Thompson was questioned on the ENDA/SB 238 today on a live chat at wvgazette.com.  Here's the exchange:



Q: [Comment From M. HInkle] 
Mr. Speaker my understanding is that you did not take a public position on SB 238, the bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. What is your position and if you supported it, why didn't you push for it. I know you pushed for other bills.

A: Richard Thompson:  Some bills that reached the House from the Senate were so publicized  and positions became  polarized that the delegates had already reached an opinion on them.  In this case,  there was insufficient support among the members to bring it to the floor.

I think most members oppose discrimination in any form. However, legislation sometimes creates unintended consequences. Many members felt this bill could have done that.

Coverage of Clayton and Kanwaha County Schools

by adminone | Sat, 04/18/2009 - 13:54

Queerty covers the Kanawha County cause.  Clayton is an example to all youth in West Virginia.