Gays are last victims

March 12, 2009

Prejudice

Gays are last victims

Decade after decade, America grows more moral, slowly erasing cruel prejudices of the past. Blacks, Hispanics, women, Jews, the aged, the handicapped, Catholics, Asians and other minorities gradually have won equality laws protecting them from unfairness they once suffered.

The only minority still lacking full acceptance is homosexuals - and they're making strong progress. Across America, many governments and corporations are adding gays to human rights and hate crimes laws, protecting them from mistreatment.

Passage of such laws has become a hallmark of enlightened communities that welcome everyone. Gays usually take their conferences and businesses to places where prejudice has been legally restricted.

Back in 2002, Charleston's council overwhelmingly extended the capital city's hate crimes law to cover "gay-bashing." The change imposed stronger punishment on prowling thugs who attack homosexuals just because they're different. Next, in 2007, council passed another breakthrough, amending the city human rights law to protect gays from being fired from their jobs or thrown out of their apartments, etc.

Last year, the state Senate voted unanimously to amend the state human rights law (Code 5-11) to shield gays from prejudice. But ignorant House members raised fundamentalist objections. Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, railed that "homosexuality is an abomination to God." Delegate Mel Kessler, D-Raleigh, warned that if gays work in business places, they may give AIDS to fellow workers. Good grief.

This narrow-minded mentality prevailed. The House Rules Committee killed the bill. Delegate Cliff Moore, D-McDowell, said the retreat make him ashamed of his chamber of the Legislature.

Now the Senate is trying again. Its Judiciary Committee approved the human rights change again Monday. Presumably, the entire Senate will support fairness for gays once more, like last year. This time, we hope House leaders get the spirit of equality and push through the change.

Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, pointed out that tolerance for gays makes good business sense. Modern corporations and organizations tend to shun backward places that allow bigotry. Advanced groups go where equality is practiced.

"We want the best and the brightest to come to West Virginia," McCabe said. "We want them to feel included."

Good point. The Mountain State shouldn't be known as a backwater where prejudice hangs on from the past. We hope the whole Legislature revises the human rights law to protect the jobs and apartments of gays - then expands the state hate crimes law to shield them from assaults.

http://www.wvgazette.com/Opinion/Editorials/200903110841