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Fairness ordinance needed

Parkersburg may soon be joining ten other West Virginia cities as well as hundreds of other cities nationwide that have adopted LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. The purpose of a nondiscrimination ordinance is to extend protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations by adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the existing list of protections. Current protections in place include race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, blindness, disability, genetic information, familial status and veteran status.

If you believe this is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist here in Parkersburg or in West Virginia, you would be mistaken. Over 57,000 West Virginians identify as LGBTQ and we just want to be treated fairly under the law. It is not a “special right” to have protection from being fired, evicted or denied public accommodations because of your actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Some falsely claim that nondiscrimination ordinances put women and children at risk, by scaring the public into believing that transgendered people are predators. Being gay or transgendered does not make you a sexual predator. This ordinance DOES NOT permit sexual predators into women’s restrooms or locker rooms. There has never been a documented case of a sexual predator abusing nondiscrimination ordinances to gain access to a women’s restroom to assault women and children.

Parkersburg is also a community of faith and some might consider this to conflict with their deeply held religious beliefs. This ordinance does not make pastors or other members of the clergy marry same-sex couples for example. Respectfully, if you want to use your religion to discriminate against others you may want to remember the words of Jesus “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

While Parkersburg strives to be a community of inclusiveness and diversity we must also be a community of tolerance and nondiscrimination. If we don’t see the need for change, we will not grow. In the future, it may become hard to attract new businesses to the area because today’s employers require nondiscrimination policies. In fact, 96 percent of Fortune 500 companies have LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination employment policies. Cities and towns that promote diversity attract tourism. Young people overwhelmingly support equal rights for LGBTQ and they want to live, work and raise their families in communities where everyone is welcome.

It is time for Parkersburg to pass this ordinance that protects ALL of its residents from discrimination.

Kim Williams

Vienna

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