The Honorable Tim Armstead
West Virginia House of Delegates
Room 264M, Building 1
State Capitol Complex
Charleston, WV 25305

Dear Minority Leader Armstead,

I am writing to you to express my feelings about your quote in the Sunday, February 22, issue of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Your statement that there remains some discussion regarding whether or not homosexuality is a choice is both misguided and potentially harmful.  As a gay man myself, I suppose that my own personal experience could be regarded as purely anecdotal, but I know for a fact that I never chose to become homosexual.  Why would any rational person choose to become a member of a group that is still so widely despised in this country and around the world?  Of course, I suppose that there may always be a small number of people who set out to shock others with outlandish behavior, but what about the tremendous majority of gays and lesbians who live their lives as ordinary, law-abiding citizens?

Furthermore, I know I’m correct when I say that the overwhelming preponderance of scientific evidence points to the fact that sexuality is an innate part of a person’s biology.  You ought to assign an intern or assistant to check this out.  For that matter, I challenge anybody to show me even one study published in a reputable, peer-reviewed scientific or medical journal within the past two decades which concludes that sexuality can be chosen.

It is my considered opinion that the whole idea that homosexuals choose their orientation is clearly absurd.  Imagine choosing to be gay in the “bad old days” of the 50’s and 60’s when homosexuals were regularly rounded up by the police and taken to jail simply for dancing with someone of the same gender, or even just for being at a known gay bar.  What about people who live today in countries like Egypt or Iran where homosexuality is a crime punishable by death?  Such men and women would have to be literally insane to make a conscious choice to be anything other than heterosexual.

Then there’s the acknowledged fact that gay and lesbian youths are far more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts.  Surely these scared and damaged children didn’t choose to be considered freaks and outcasts by their peers, did they?  By opposing equal protection under the law for gay and lesbian citizens of this state, you are sending those kids the message that they deserve to be miserable.

I hope you will reconsider your opinion and lend your full support to HB 2454.

On “Orange Tuesday” (June 7, 1977), voters in Dade County, Florida, repealed an ordnance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  When the news broke, thousands of gay residents of San Francisco, on the complete opposite end of the country, took to the streets to protest.  They chanted “We are your children,” and “Two, four, six, eight / Separate the church and state.”  We still celebrate the courage of those early pioneers in the struggle for gay equality.

But that raises a series of questions in my mind.  As you all should know, the West Virginia Legislature is currently considering a measure that would make discrimination against gays and lesbians illegal in our state.  Last year, a similar bill passed the state senate on a unanimous voice vote, but died a slow death in the House of Delegates.  Was there a protest in response?  Maybe, but I didn’t hear about it.

My point isn’t that we should necessarily take to the streets waving signs and blowing whistles, although it probably couldn’t hurt.  What I’m saying is that our community has to get involved.  We must get involved.  I’ve been guilty in the past of being an idle bystander in the fight for gay equality, but I don’t think we can afford to take things lying down any longer.

The more I think about it, the more depressing it is that, by and large, the gay community in West Virginia is disturbingly a-political.  We have to get angry, we have to take action, and we have to do it now.  Are we afraid of how our fellow West Virginians might react?  Are we afraid that we might lose our housing or our jobs?  Well, that’s exactly why we need to make our voices heard and get this legislation passed.  As a community, we need to stand together, be courageous, be strong, and do whatever we have to do to make sure our rights are protected.

Harvey Milk said it best back in the 70s – the best thing you can do to advance gay equality is to come out of the closet.  Come out to your family, come out to your friends (if they really are your friends), and come out at work.  There are people in this state who think this issue doesn’t affect them because they don’t even know anyone who is gay.  Some of those people might be your aunts and uncles, your bosses and coworkers, or the guys you bowl with on Thursday nights.  If they think they don’t have a personal stake in this fight, it’s up to us to let them know that they do.

What else can you do?  You can get involved.  You can join the Stonewall Democrats or PrideWV or the ACLU.  You can join the Senate Bill 238 Coalition on Facebook and invite all your friends to do the same.  You can write letters to your representatives in the state house or even pick up the phone and call them.  (Click here to learn who your legislators are and to find their contact info.)  If there’s a public hearing, and if you have the time and resources to do so, you can come to the Capitol and address the committee face-to-face.

But what are we going to do if this legislation fails to pass again?  What are we going to do if Jeremiah Dys and his cohorts succeed in getting an anti-marriage initiative on the ballot?  We can do what we always do, which usually amounts to either writing angry blurbs on the internet or maybe going out to the bars, drinking our drinks and complaining.  Or else we can get involved and let people know that we’re not going to sit idly by and just take it any more.

The days of hiding in the closet and pretending that we don’t mind being treated as second-class citizens are over.  We must demand equality.  We have to stop the exodus of our LGBT brothers and sisters who feel they have no other option but to leave West Virginia behind.  We especially have speak up for the next generation of gay and lesbian youth.  We have to give them the knowledge that it’s okay to be gay and that there is a community out here that cares what happens to them.  As Harvey Milk said, “You have to give them hope.”

Last week, Senators McCabe, Palumbo, Kessler, Snyder, Foster, Wells, introduced Senate Bill 238 that will add sexual orientation the state Human Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act. It is summarized as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to add “sexual orientation” to the categories covered by the Human Rights Act prohibiting discrimination in employment and places of public accommodations. This bill also provides clarification as to an exemption from the “sexual orientation” employment-based proscriptions of this bill for “religious institutions” and offers, for the purposes of this article, a definition thereof. This bill also adds “age” and “sexual orientation” to the categories covered by the Fair Housing Act prohibiting discrimination in housing. It defines “sexual orientation” as “heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity, whether actual or perceived.”

Nothing is more important than extending legal protections to LGBT West Virginians. Other groups are trying to change the topic in the state legislature by relying on out of state groups to fund ‘protect marriage’ campaigns, even going so far as to call us ’snipers’  We all know this attempt is nothing but a distraction and that a special election to add a ban on gay marriage to the state constitution is a complete waste of time and money. 

How you can help

1) Thank Senators McCabe, Palumbo, Kessler, Snyder, Foster and Wells for introducing this bill. Second, contact your senators. 

2) Contact your senators

• Find your ZIP+4 code http://zip4.usps.com/
• Lookup your local senators here
• Call & Write them!
• Let us know of your work here

Cleve Jones may not be the most famous or most popular figure in the gay movement, but he is responsible for one of the most well-known and emotional symbols in modern America – the AIDS Memorial Quilt.  In Stitching a Revolution: The Making of an Activist, along with coauthor Jeff Dawson, Jones discusses not only the genesis of the Quilt and the NAMES project, but also his own thought-provoking personal journey.  He began his activism as an angry kid with a hand-me-down bullhorn and continues the struggle today as one of our movement’s elder statesmen.

Like the Quilt itself, Jones’ memoir is made up of a variety of small vignettes stitched together into an inspiring whole.  He sets out by discussing his childhood and his coming-of-age, his initial forays into politics as a protege of Harvey Milk, and his gradual development as a grassroots gay-rights activist.  With the advent of the AIDS pandemic in the 80s, and his own positive diagnosis, his activities became even more focused.

As someone who is relatively new to the world of gay advocacy, politics, and activism, I had formerly been only peripherally aware of the history of the fight for gay rights.  I knew a bit about Stonewall and I had heard of Harvey Milk, but beyond that, I never really thought much about it.  I became increasingly angry and more radical during the long, dark years of the Bush administration, however.  I finally decided to get involved in a small way during the 2008 elections, although I freely admit that I’m still just beginning to venture ever so gingerly into the deep end of the pool.

Additionally, seeing the movie “Milk” made me want even more to learn about the history of our cause.  I had heard the name Cleve Jones in connection with the Quilt, but knew next to nothing about him before seeing the film.  When I discovered that he had, in fact, written an autobiography, I immediately sought it out.  I was happy to discover that the Kanawha County Public Library actually possesses a copy and I read it through in a single weekend.

For those of us like myself, who were really too young to appreciate the struggles of the 70s and 80s, this book is an important and engaging educational resource.  For those who remember those days, it will be a reminder – perhaps a very painful reminder – of what our community went through.  As an eyewitness to history, Jones doesn’t pull any punches, and his anger and indignation shine through.

Of course, I don’t want you to think that the book is all Sturm und Drang. There are plenty of lighter moments, too, and Jones mixes fond and funny memories along with the serious ones.  On one hand, Stitching a Revolution is the touching story of one man’s life and the battles he fought, both private and public.  But it is also the story of a momentous era in American history.  Some parts of this book will doubtless make you sad, and other parts (I hope) will make you furious, but ultimately, you’ll feel uplifted and ready for action.

the stonewall democrats is the only national organization for lgbt and lgbt-friendly democrats.  kanawha stonewall democrats was organized in 2008 to give our community a voice in our future, here in west virginia, now. we need your involvement as we prepare for the 2009 legislative session.

while the defeat of prop 8 was a smack in the face to our community, from coast to coast, we have our own battles to fight.  over the last few years we have made progress toward passage of a non-discrimination bill and we need to push harder this session to make this law for all of west virginia. at the same time, our opponents are pushing for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. 

we need your help now.  contact speaker of the house of delegates richard thompson. tell him you support non-discrimination legislation in employment and housing based on sexual orientation and that your oppose any bills aimed at establishing a special election banning gay marriage. 

Speaker of the House Richard Thompson

Room 234M, Building 1 

State Capitol Complex 

Charleston WV  25305 

Speaker.Thompson@verizon.net

Rally in Charleston!

3pm Today!

UMWA Lawn at corner of Morris & Kanawha Boulevard

The Obama-Biden campaign has a rally scheduled on the lawn of the
UMWA office in Charleston at 3 PM. The rally is to counter the
appearance of Gov. Palin in the Tri-State region. We need your
participation. The union office is on the corner of Brooks and Kanawha
Blvd

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!

Stop the Hate / Start the Healing Event
Thursday, October 16, 2008
5:30-7:00 P.M.
Davis Park, Capitol Street, Charleston

People of faith standing up to hate violence,
speaking out when people are attacked based on
race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, gender or disability

For more information please contact: Susan Allen (304) 346-4402
Sponsored by the West Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Stop the Hate Committee

Raffle!
9″ X 12″ “Democrat Donkey” Mosaic.
Handmade by Charleston East End resident, S. Mathis.
$5 per ticket or $20 for five tickets! Save $5!

Tickets are available by sending us a message here, emailing contact@kanawhastonewalldemocrats.org or calling (304) 932-0074

Winner will be announced during the Jefferson Jackson Dinner this Saturday, Sept 20th. If not present, the winner will be contacted by phone.