Top Republican And Democrat Lawmakers In West Virginia Speak Out Against Anti-Gay Religious Freedoms Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a historic moment, both Democrat and Republican lawmakers have joined together in voicing their support for LGBT nondiscrimination in a bipartisan video produced by Fairness West Virginia, the statewide LGBT advocacy organization.

The video is called “LGBT Nondiscrimination Is A Nonpartisan Issue: Hear From Legislators In Their Own Words” and showcases members of the West Virginia Legislature including Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael and Senate Minority Leader Jeffrey V. Kessler, Senate Judiciary Chairman Charlie S. Trump, House Minority Leader Timothy Miley, and Delegate Saira Blair, the state’s youngest legislator, as well as five other lawmakers.

“Fairness West Virginia is excited to showcase that leaders and the next generation of leaders from both parties are unequivocally speaking out in favor of nondiscrimination for all West Virginians including LGBT Mountaineers,” says Andrew Schneider, Executive Director of Fairness West Virginia. “This video demonstrates that it is no longer politically advantageous for members of either party to support discrimination of any kind.”

There is, however, a concerted effort by The Family Policy Council, an outside lobbying group, to disguise discrimination against the LGBT community in West Virginia in the name of religious freedom. “The idea that religious freedom and nondiscrimination are in conflict is simply not true,” says Schneider. “We hear time and time again from West Virginians that personal religious conviction is in fact one of the strongest foundations for supporting LGBT nondiscrimination.”