Gay Rights in West Virginia (Man: real estate, lease, eyeglasses)

[GottaHerdOn]

Yeah, the comments "Wapper" said are just some of the many things gays and lesbians have to deal with. I don't really care if people think I'm disgusting, I know I'm not. I'm healthy, attractive, intelligent, caring and compassionate. It saddens me that someone thinks like this, even though I'm confronted with it time after time. Listen, I tried dating girls, I was in sexual relationships with them, but it just wasn't right. I hid it for many years from everyone, I was in denial myself. I was constantly being told by society that if I was gay I was sick and disgusting and that I will die of AIDS. Well, those are not true. You are born gay, you do not choose to be. Not allowing gays and lesbiens to marry or have a civial union (AT LEAST, not all the rights but more than we have now) is denial of rights any heterosexual has. People who argue that gays and lesbians should not be allowed to have children. That it will mess them up psychologically. Do straight people only have straight children? no, gay people will not raise children to be gay, but if those children are they probably wont have to be scared about coming out. Is it better for children to not have families and not be adopted than to live with a gay couple who have went through all the same screenings that heterosexuals do?

Do you know how staggering the rates of suicide among gay teens is? I was so nervous when I came out, I to, had feelings of suicide rather than dealing with this and telling my friends and family. Well, I told my friends and they all took it very well, it shocked a lot of them, but I did not lose a single friend over coming out. I'm hoping this means my generation (18-27) is more open to different people and loves people for who they are and not their stereotypes. But comments like Wappers are widespread and this has to stop people. The United States can no longer be called the land of the free if it continues to deny gay and lesbians their rights as human beings. Thank you to those of you for your supportive comments... hopefully you remember them when voting next

[David Kennedy]

GHO:
Hold your head up for your honesty and not denying your feelings.
How many people can do that?

It all begins with liking yourself...just a little...then progressing to love yourself...

When that happens, its like the dawning of a West Virginia morning in Spring. A person can then extend those feelings to others and help them to like themselves...just a little....

You have many years ahead of you to learn, to ponder, to evaluate and to serve...be yourself and accomplish your goals...its a community and everyone is needed...we all bring our best gifts to the table...

[quijote]

Originally Posted by wapper

Why do homosexuals keep pushing a political agenda under the guise of civil rights. It is after all a "sexual preference/orientation" is it not. Don't I have the right to object to acts that I consider disgusting.

Of course you have the right to object to acts that you consider disgusting. However, that doesn't mean that you *ought* to have the right to refuse employment to such people in a business environment. I don't much care for religious fundamentalists, but if they best qualify for the job, I have to hire them.

One of the men I admire greatly said judge me by the content of my heart, not my color. Applying that to homosexuals, I find most of them lacking in character, morality, and social conduct.

I admire you for having met most or all of the gay people in existence on the planet. I travel a lot and probably have not crossed paths with most *people*, let alone most *homosexuals*.

By the way, if I had to make a blanket characterization such as yours, I would say that most human beings--regardless of sexual orientation--lack in character, morality, and social conduct. It's not a homosexual thing, believe it or not, and in fact many gays are quite moral and well behaved.

My moral compass centers on a believe system that tells me to reject homosexuality on all levels as a viable life style, but at the same time to treat all of my breathern as I would want to be treated.

You contradict yourself here. So you would like to be fired indiscriminately from your job? Denied the right to formalize your loving relationship? Denied access to your spouse when in the hospital?

I don't want homosexuals approval, I don't care one wit about what the gay community thinks about me, and I certainly don't need "civil rights" legislation to grant me special considerations, so why should a gay need any of those things from me.

You enjoy the benefits from gays' tax dollars and other contributions to society as much as we benefit from yours. Yet you already enjoy many more social benefits and privileges in *our* society than gays do, yet I doubt you pay proportionately more taxes or proportionately make society more worthwhile for everyone involved. The gays in society are only looking to be treated the way that you want to be treated, but it's clear that so many people--like yourself, apparently--say the Golden Rule, but don't really want it applied.

You alread have the native right to be as disguisting as you want to be, no new laws are needed.

Spoken with a dose of that good old Christian humility, right?

[David Kennedy]

This example of hate and predjudice can be seen in other West Virginia venues...hate for others of a different:

Ethnic Background: (fostered by the early WV coal companies to keep the workers separated)
Race: Blacks and Chinese (difficulty of social mentality change beause of slavery and abuse)
Status: Wealth or Lack of it and the problems that situation brings)
Position: (Power divested and used for good or evil)
Religion: (Persecution and extermination beause of moral values. (ie: Burma last month to the Buddists)

I'm sure there are others...what I'm getting at is this. Society and groups have always had these problems...its tribal and inherent to the group to not trust the stranger or let power go to another.
As long as difference and ignorance exist, these problems exist. Interchange and understanding are essential for growth and peace.
You have to understand too that some individuals, leaders and groups profit from the chaos of keeping these groups from peace.

Polar extremes and an after thought:

As I was writing this opinion a mental picture of a 'Gay Pride Parade' parade came to mind.
I equate those events with the hatred of the 60's and 70's.
Militant hate groups existed in the black culture (Black Panthers who killed and robbed) and the white culture (Symbianese Liberation Army and the KKK). They always made the news.

These events isolated general thought and polarized popular opinion. (Read about them in archive files) I can't see a 'Gay Pride Parade' event anytime in Elkins...and don't care too...To me it would be like the Ku Klux Klan parade of over 20,000 marchers in downtown Fairmont in the 1920's....a showing of extreme dominance.
(No written historial account of this event can be found, but a photo exists.)

We are better than this...education and the internet will make us so, because we can observe the entire planet as a large community. The days of the days of the demagogs are nearing an end beause of this. They are causing chaos in every venue to keep forment at the front of every issue...it's media driven frankly beacause there is money to be made...its always about the money. There is no news when peace takes place...ever hear any good news? Rarely.

And under all the confusion and calamity are the individuals and masses of regular people who want to live in peace with everyone else and breathe free...We are MAN....HU-MAN.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by wapper

I find most of them lacking in character, morality, and social conduct.

Gee, you must have put yourself in some odd situations, then. We have those "out there in your face" gay people here in Atlanta, too. But we also have "out there" black people, white rednecks, religious nuts, etc., as well. Every group of people have their sleezes, and their regular everyday folks. I think it's unfair to clump them and say that "most" of them lack morality, social conduct, or character. It's actually pretty naive to think that way.

The gay people I've known and worked with here were/are just like everyone else. They don't march in parades and act crazy - that's media attention on the fringe elements and you're believe they're all like that. Hell, one of my neighbors is gay and he fought as an officer in the original Gulf War - hardly "lacking in character" if you ask me - I'd have gone to Canada if they drafted for that! LOL

And to David Kennedy - Yeah, that fringe element (bathrooms, etc) - I'd be rude too. I was just refering to if you get looked at, not people looking at you under a stall. LOL! But hey, even chicks do it - look at what happened when that gal grabbed Tim McGraw's hoohah! LOL

[Call me Tres]

I am a lesbian and one of my sisters is gay, too. Mom likes to say she batted a .667 at the gay ballpark! I am out and always have been, I don't see the big deal about my sexuality. I don't understand why it can be an issue to others, but that is up to them. My employer certainly doesn't care as they permit me to carry my partner on my insurance plans.

I was thinking about this issue last night, odd that I would stumble on this thread today. I've spent a great deal of time in WV in the last year and will be a resident next year. On average, the people in WV are very, very individualistic and admire that same quality in others. I wouldn't say that WV is a tolerant place so much as a place that is largely lacking in intolerance. The populace does not seek to open it's collective mind as that mind is already open.

I'm surprised that rural and sparsely populated areas are not more excited about having lesbians and gays become residents. On average we have far fewer children and pay a greater percentage of our income in taxes than heterosexual people. That is an ideal situation for an area that wants to grow or wants to spend more on the school systems. We provide a tax base that is less likely to use the services which it funds.

Anyhoo, I think WV is a beautiful state. The beauty comes from the inhabitants as much as from the landscape.

[David Kennedy]

Hear! Hear! Well said, and so very eloquently too...welcome.

[cathy J.]

Originally Posted by GottaHerdOn

As many of you may or may not know. West Virginia isn't the most accepting state for gays and lesbians. Currently it is perfectly legal for an employer in West Virginia to fire an employee on the basis that they are gay or lesbian. Charleston has passed a measure that protects gay and lesbian rights within the city. I know West Virginia is in the buckle of the bible belt, but come on folks. We live in the land of the free where ALL rights should be the same from person to person shouldn't they? Shouldn't we all have the same rights and privileges. Shouldn't everyone be allowed to love whom ever they want and have all the same rights as straight couples that are in love? Should children bounce around from foster home to foster home because gay parents are so wrong? Do we want to continue to force gays and lesbians out of our state by creating such a hostile environment for us to live in? I know this is probably going to rub some people wrong. But please don't spill hate on this. I also realize that the gay rights movement isn't going to happen over night. It took forever for black Americans, Jews, and women. We need to keep CHURCH and STATE separate (our foundation for America), and I urge you all to make West Virginia a more accepting state.

Employment ii West Virginia is "at will". Its actually that way in the 49 other states too. One can pretty much be fired for anything at anytime nor do they have to tell you why you were fired. Earlier this year I read somewhere about a man in Maryland who was fired from job. His crime? He was from Indianapolis !! His boss was a diehard Baltimore Colts fan and when he found out one of employees was from Indy, because he still hasn't forgotten about the Colts leaving Baltimore in the middle of that snowy night, he fired him. Employment at will allows this.

I believe half of the states out there do have laws in place protecting gay men and women on the workforce. Yes it will be nice if more did that but then again, even in those states, it is not going to totally stop discrimation.

Colorado has such a law. Last summer a good friend of mine relocated to Denver. He had an interview with a well known company that made office furniture. From what he was telling me the interview itself went well, that is until they said "..tell us about your personal life". They asked him such questions like "..have you checked out the Denver Wrangler bar?" "...are you familiar with the Front Range Bear Club?"" "..on hot days have you checked out the DSC ?". My friend had just moved tot he area, he had no idea what was the man talking about, that is until he went online at home and did some research. All the things the guy at the interview brought up had to do with homosexuality ( DSC for example was a Denver bath house ). In other words, the company put him through a "gay test". Anyway, my friend did not get the job. He talked to a lawyer friend of his and and from what the lawyer told him, yes Colorado does have laws protecting gay men and women, but Colorado employement is at will. All it does is that employeers can't say "..you are gay so you are fired". They can still "find a way" to fire you only now they have to lie about it. Same goes to other protected classes too.

[CLUCAS]

Im A Gay Man Never Had An Problems In Charleston Wv When Living There Just People Are Very Sheltered And Afraid Of The Unkown... I Would Have To Say Its Not Bad But The Jobs And Entertainment Is Poor Im Happy Now Living In Miami/fort Lauderdale Area And Loving Life... Keep Hope Alive Wv

[straw hat]

''Not allowing gays and lesbians to marry or have a civil union (AT LEAST, not all the rights but more than we have now) is denial of rights any heterosexual has.''
This person sounds like they want to be a little bit pregnant. Either you have rights or do not have rights. Civil unions do not protect your property. It is thought that children raised by gays and lesbians would be brought up to be gay or lesbian. Were not the gay and lesbian born to heterosexual parents?