Kessler, Tennant support anti-discrimination legislation

by: heath_harrison

Tue Feb 22, 2011 at 05:29:30 AM EST

Two of the Democratic candidates for governor have voiced their support for legislation which would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

At a press conference Monday, acting Senate President Jeff Kessler joined Sam Hall, a miner who described on-the-job harassment he says he endured at a Massey Energy mine.

Hall's words, via MetroNews:

"If the labor laws would have been amended earlier to contain sexual orientation discrimination, myself as well as other gay West Virginians would not have to endure such demeaning and inexcusable behavior from employers and employees at the workplace," Hall said.

"It is time to recognize clearly, once and for all in West Virginia, that all men and all women are created equal," he said.

"These are individuals who are who they are. They have no more ability to change their orientation than they do the color of their skin. They have no more ability to change their orientation than they do to change the color of their eyes."

Secretary of State Natalie Tennant wasn't able to attend the event, but sent a statement of support.

An excerpt:

"Discrimination is bad for our economy and bad for our community," she said.

"We can no longer afford to have biases of the past dictate our future. It is time for a new approach. It's time for West Virginia to move forward."

Naturally, Hall's moving testimony would bring out the minions of notorious hate group the American Family Association, an organization that previously  promoted attacks on those who prayed for the welfare of West Virginia miners during the Sago disaster.

Kevin McCoy, president of AFA's local affiliate, the West Virginia Family Foundation, issued his group's bigoted rebuttal:

"What we have witnessed here today is a brazen and open promotion of the deviant behavior and lifestyle of homosexuality by elected leaders," President Kevin McCoy said in a statement. "These bills will require acceptance of homosexuality to be taught in West Virginia's public schools."

I don't like giving McCoy's words space, but it is necessary  to show the mentality that opponents of this bill are pandering to. It's truly sad that there are still human beings who think like this in 2011.

Kessler and Tennant should be loudly applauded for taking a stand for equality and basic decency in supporting anti-discrimination legislation.

As for the other candidates - we deserve to know which side they will take.

Will they stand with Sam Hall, or will they pander to the backwards opponents of this bill like AFA and McCoy?