Sex orientation bill goes to full House-West Virginia!

[davidinalameda]

http://wvgazette.com/News/200803050825

A split House Judiciary Committee gave its nod of approval Wednesday to legislation adding sexual orientation to the state's Human Rights and Fair Housing acts, but not before making a slight change that would mean the bill must be approved again by the Senate.

The legislation (SB600) was unanimously passed by the Senate last week.

House Judiciary members turned down an amendment proposed by Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, to exempt those who morally or for religious reasons do not accept those without a heterosexual orientation. She asked colleagues to "be tolerant of people with religious convictions and vote for my amendment."

Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, harkened back to the days when some Americans would justify racial discrimination with the Bible. That was a terrible time and led to a civil war, she said.

[msongs]

1. barack obama opposes gay marriage, the bible tells him so nt

[davidinalameda]

2. and Hillary supports it?

[Laughing Mirror]

4. Hillary opposes gay marriage on historic, religious & moral grounds

"Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage always has been, between a man and a woman." - Hillary Clinton, opposing same-sex marriages, quoted in The New York Daily News.

[LostinVA]

10. That's an old quote -- she's come around quite a bit since then

[Laughing Mirror]

12. Where has she renounced this?

When? Where? What did she say?

[shawn703]

5. So do I

In fact, I oppose having government involved in marriages at all. Marriage is a religious institution, and as such, government should keep out of it. Civil unions are another matter, and I believe those should be available to anyone regardless of sexual orientation. If you want to be recognized by the government as being a couple, you get a civil union. If you want to be recognized by your religion as being a couple, you go through whatever ceremony that is.

Simple solution, no?

[xchrom]

3. good for west virginia -- note it's housing we're talking here.

[theHandpuppet]

7. At least we're making progress.... unlike Virginia

A state which continues to pass some of the most gay-hating laws in the nation. "Virginia is for lovers" -- what a joke! But until such time as GLBT folk can unite in a mass boycott of gay-unfriendly states that depend on tourism dollars, I don't expect a lot of change. I don't know why we can't seem to get our shit together with regard to our financial power.

[xchrom]

8. because as a group -- we're very loosely affliated.

i get what you're saying and all and it's important -- but you're kind of getting to the heart of a whole other subject -- when we come out as lgbtq folk -- we come out individually.

we are very, very new as an out and noticeable community -- we've never been that before or at least not for thousands of years.

there's a lot to say about it -- but we'd jump the thread if we did that.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Thanks very much for posting this news!

Much appreciated.

Now we could make further progress in West Virginia by shedding ourselves of that corrupt and unrepentant Bushbot, Rep. Shelly Moore Capito. Capito has almost unlimited funds thanks to the coal industry. She has some competition this year in Anne Barth but Anne needs support and money. For more information on the Democratic candidates in WV, see:

http://www.wvdemocrats.com/candidates/candidates_2008.html

[davidinalameda]

9. my pleasure

[Gala328]

11. Long Overdue

Things are definitely headed in the right direction.

[closeupready]

13. How do people who oppose this who also have gay kids or grandkids do it?

It seems like that would be VERY difficult, to oppose changes which would improve the lives of your own families? Something only a Republican could do.

[LeftCoast]

14. Wow! W. Va?! Times sure are changing!

Sure is great news!