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Fairness WV Marches
on Washington
 With bright yellow t-shirts and a 10
foot banner, Fairness West Virginia supporters marched
down Pennsylvania Avenue to the US Capital last Sunday
in Washington, DC as part of the National Equality March.
Fairness board members and supporters from across the state
cheered and waved their rainbow flags to support LGBT rights for
the Mountain State and the nation.
The Charleston Gazette covered
the West Virginia contingent.
Fairness WV president Stephen Skinner told The
Gazette, “If you look at the history of getting
legislation and getting actual fair treatment, it's all happened
at the state and local level. Every state, certainly, has its
own focus. Obviously, the battles in California are different
from the battles in West Virginia."
We made sure to take plenty of pictures of the march. Click
here to view a slideshow.
Federal News
Hate Crimes Clears the House,
Senate Vote is Expected Soon
In a major step forward, the U.S.
House passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act on October
8th as part of the Department of Defense reauthorization bill.
All three members of the WV delegation, Reps. Capito, Mollohan,
and Rahall voted in favor of the legislation.
Earlier in the day, Fairness WV lobbied Capito's and
Mollohan’s offices on hate crimes legislation and other
pressing issues.
The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation soon. Make
sure to call Sen. Byrd at (202) 224-3954 and Sen. Rockefeller at
(202) 224-6472 and urge their support.
Save the
Date
 Fairness WV will be holding its first
statewide leadership summit in Morgantown on December 5th. Make
sure to put it on your calendar! The summit will be a great way
to network with other supporters and learn important skills to
take back to your community.
We’ll have more details soon.
In the Community
Laramie Project: 10 Years Later in
Lewisburg
On Monday, October 12th, the Greenbrier Theatre
presented The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later
simultaneously with 100 other theaters in all fifty states,
Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Hong Kong and Australia. This
version of the play focuses on the long-term effects Matthew
Shepard’s murder has had on the town of Laramie, WY.
Fairness WV worked with the Greenbrier Theatre on the
production and sponsored a reception before the show. The CBS
affiliate, 59 News, covered
the event and interviewed Fairness WV board member Coy
Flowers, MD:
Local gay rights activists said events like this help promote
awareness of the problems homosexuals face today.
"We've been able to interconnect all the smaller rural
communities throughout the state to be able to work on joint
projects like house, job discrimination and hate crime laws,"
said Dr. Coy Flowers.
To learn more about the Laramie Project, visit www.laramieproject.org. |
