Letter to the Editor

By Raine Klover

Contraception is health care issue

Contraception is most definitely "health care." For women who suffer from endometriosis, birth control hormones are sometimes the only thing that relieves them from crippling pain and allow them to lead productive lives. Ditto for women living with PCOS. For women who have severe health problems wherein pregnancy can be dangerous, birth control is also preventative health care.

And for millions of married and unmarried women, contraception is a moral choice. I am a happily married Christian mother of two. It is in the best interest of the health and welfare of our family to have only two children. Would conservatives rather I get pregnant and have an abortion -- or get pregnant and sign up for food stamps and Medicaid? Are they willing to pay (through the childcare tax credit) for the childcare I would then have to have, as both parents would have to head out into the workforce? And what about that extra tax break for having another dependant -- is that cool for us to take?

A recent letter writer to this paper claimed that contraception "simply allows a woman to have uninhibited sex without getting pregnant." Note there is no mention of the men that would be having uninhibited sex with these loose women -- it's all about the woman. And that is where we get to the crux of the conservative viewpoint.

Conservatives, who claim to be the party of individual freedom, actually want to legislate who gets to have sex -- and apparently the only people allowed to have sex are heterosexual married couples with unlimited resources. The rest of us lustful, sex-crazed women just need to put an aspirin between our knees and carry on.

Raine Klover

Huntington

To see the letter as posted in the Herald-Dispatch and read the comments regarding it click here.

Nadia Bolz-Weber

By Raine Klover

One of my favorite blogs is written by a rockin' Lutheran minister, Nadia Bolz-Weber. Here's her latest blog post that highlights her testimony at a Colorado Senate Judiciary hearing on civil unions. Check it out!

Let's write more letters!

BY JUSTIN MURDOCK

Another action alert.  My apologies that it is such a busy time for social justice issues in WV, but please don't lose steam!

A bill was introduced today that would make provisions for civil unions for same sex couples.  This would at least give some of the rights and protections of marriage while giving legislators an 'out' by not having to deal with the 'you're destroying traditional marriage' crowd.  Please take a minute to write a letter on this issue.  I have again added a template, but please personalize it in some way!  I have supplied email addresses for all members of the judiciary committee, which is the first place this bill will land. Let's go!

"Dear Delegate,

I am writing to you, a member of the house judiciary committee, and asking your support for legislation introduced by your fellow committee member John Doyle.  I ask that you would add your backing to the Civil Unions bill, HB4569.  This important bill would strengthen family values by giving more families in this great state the basic rights that they are denied simply because they are headed by same sex couples. Currently, such families are put in greater distress in the toughest moments of life because they are not awarded the simple dignity of doing things like making medical decisions for a life partner and many other simple but fundamental rights that most married couples don’t even have to think about.

As a legislator in my state, you have the awesome responsibility of holding the welfare of all citizens of this state as a first priority and standing up for the basic rights of all West Virginians.  I urge you to put the welfare of the great LGBT citizens who are part of what makes this state such a wonderful place. You can do this by supporting HB4569 as well as HB2045 which would provide these same citizens protections at work and in their housing. I know you will support providing these basic rights to your neighbors because it is quite simply the right thing to do.

Please let me know how I can help further this legislation.

Thank you in advance,

[insert contact info]"

Please copy this letter to these addresses.  You may also want to look up your own representatives in your district and send a letter to them as well. You can look up your delegates by name or district HERE and find their contact info.  Don't forget that all these members have phones as well and are elected to HEAR your voice!

tim.miley@wvhouse.gov, mhunt@markahunt.com, john.ellem@wvhouse.gov, patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov,  larry.barker@wvhouse.gov, bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov, mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov, barbaraf@wvhouse.gov, john.frazier@wvhouse.gov, linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov, tmanchin@manchininjurylaw.com, mike.manypenny@wvhouse.gov, harold@hardynet.com, clif.moore@wvhouse.gov, john.pino@wvhouse.gov, meshea.poore@wvhouse.gov, david.walker@wvhouse.gov, danny.wells@wvhouse.gov, bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov, woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov, jonathan@delegatejmiller.com, john.oneal@wvhouse.gov, john@overington.com, kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov  

Thanks for taking action,
Justin

Apply for Equality protest roundup

BY JUSTIN MURDOCK

It was great yesterday to see about 40 supporters throughout the day including 7 couples that applied for marriage licenses come out for the marriage equality rally.  While we obviously did not get our licenses, we brought attention to this social justice issue in a big way.  We had coverage on WCHS, WVAH, WSAZ, WOWK, The Herald-Dispatch and The Parthenon.  One friend even said he saw us on MSNBC yesterday!  For those who missed it, here is a roundup of some of the coverage:

Herald Dispatch

Parthenon

WCHS/WVAH

WSAZ

WOWK

Great coverage for this event!  Thanks to all who supported it in thought or in person.  Let's keep fighting!

BY JUSTIN MURDOCK

I was able to attend the LGBT lobby day in Charleston yesterday.  I am very impressed by the work being done by Fairness WV and its allies.

HB2045, also known as EHNDA (the Employment and Housing Non-Discrimination Act), which would add Sexual Orientation as a protected class under the WV Human Rights Act has stalled in the WV house for the past two years but passed in the senate. 

In a meeting with one of Speaker Richard Thompson's staffers yesterday, it seems that if he will take the leadership to bring the bill to the floor for debate and vote, it will pass!  PLEASE write and ask him to take initiative on this bill.  He needs to know he has support to do so!  PLEASE add any personal stories of employee or housing discrimination that has affected you or someone close to you.  Feel free to add your own language, this is simply a template, much of its language coming from Fairness WV.  Forward this to your circles, groups, loved ones, etc.  ACTION IS NEEDED!

I will be writing a very personal letter, as one of the speakers constituents.  Please do your part, this legislation may seem like a baby step when other states are passing marriage equality, but a baby step is better than a step backwards.  This is where we can make a difference NOW.

Contact info:
Speaker of the House
Richard Thompson
Capitol Address:
Room 228M, Building 1
State Capitol Complex
Charleston, WV 25305

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3210
Business Phone: (304) 522-8699
E-mail: speaker.thompson@frontier.com

"Dear Speaker Thompson,

I believe in basic, fundamental protections for West Virginia’s workers and citizens, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. I believe that all West Virginians have the right to work free from fear of being fired for who they are, and the right to have a home free from fear of being evicted for who they are.

This year, we are closer than ever before to passing the Employment & Housing Nondiscrimination Act. For starters, we carry the support of West Virginia’s citizens. Fairness WV revealed yesterday that in a January 2010 poll from Greenberg Quinlan, 61% of West Virginians “favor protecting gay and lesbian people from discrimination in employment and housing.” We believe that number is significantly higher today.

I was also thrilled to hear at a press conference on February 8^th, that West Virginia’s labor unions are standing with this legislation. Yes, legislation to include sexual orientation in the WV Human Rights Act has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO and the United Mine Workers of America! Labor has been so critical in establishing the most basic rights for workers in our state, and they have been at the forefront of the fight for stronger, fairer, more equal protections for all. With their endorsement of EHNDA, they are helping again to establish those basic, fundamental rights of fairness and equality for all – to stand with my personal beliefs, and the LGBT community in WV, to make sure that all West Virginians, regardless even of sexual orientation, have the right to work free from the fear of discrimination.

With labor and the vast majority of West Virginians standing with this legislation, I think it’s about time for EHNDA to pass.

As Speaker of the house, I ask you to bring this bill, HB2045 to the house floor for debate and vote. I believe Tim Miley will support moving this legislation out of the Judiciary committee if he has your backing to take it to the floor.  I also believe a majority of the house will approve the bill.  I know the bill has been passed by the Senate twice now and that the Governor will support it if both chambers pass it. I hope you will let this come to a vote and let the democratic process prevail, there is no reason to put off a bill that will help real WV people and families be secure in jobs and housing.  That is, according to the latest numbers 40,000 West Virginians including 5200 couples, many of them raising children!  Numbers that are certainly climbing.

Please do not allow so many hardworking citizens of your state to continue to be allowed to be discriminated against simply because some view this as ‘controversial’.  Basic rights are not controversial and this bill has the support of 61% of West Virginia voters. It is not only a bill to protects the LGBT community either as currently, employees can be fired for ‘perceived’ orientation whether they are actually gay or not!  We cannot tell our schools to protect LGBT students with enumerated anti-bullying policies like the WV school board put into policy this year, and then allow employers and landlords to bully the LGBT community.  I just ask you to do the right thing, and treat others as you would want to be treated.

Sincerely,

[insert name and contact info]"

Fairness WV Lobby Day

Several members of the Peace and Social Justice Team will be joining in Fairness WV's Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. We will be meeting with state legislators to advocate  for legislation adding employment & housing protections, hate crimes protections, and school anti-bullying protections for LGBT West Virginians, as well as legislation recognizing civil unions for lesbian and gay couples, being introduced in 2012. 


If you would like to join us you can sign up here.