West Virginia lawmakers from both sides of the aisle appear in a new video showing their support of freedom from discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
The video, released Monday by LGBT rights group Fairness West Virginia, includes remarks from Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson; Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall; Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Trump, R-Morgan; House Minority Leader Tim Miley, D-Harrison; and six other legislators.
"Fairness West Virginia is excited to showcase that leaders and the next generation of leaders from both parties are unequivocally speaking out in favor of nondiscrimination for all West Virginians including LGBT Mountaineers," Fairness West Virginia executive director Andrew Schneider said in a statement.
In the video, Carmichael says discrimination against certain classes of people is bad for the business climate.
"When talent and ability have an opportunity to be the evaluation mechanism, that's when we do the best," he says.
In an interview, Carmichael said he believes in "a universal value of self-worth for all people."
"I think we can find common ground here," he said.
He wouldn't say whether his appearance in the video means he would oppose a West Virginia version of a religious freedom restoration act. Rumors have been swirling about the chances one of the bills, which have passed in 21 states so far, will pass during the ongoing legislative session.
Supporters of the bills say they protect people from being forced to violate their religious beliefs by the government. Opponents say the bills are efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals. Debate intensified after same-sex marriage became the law of the land, making same-sex couples more visible and, LGBT advocates say, more likely to be refused service by businesses. After a similar bill passed in Indiana, a pizza place, Memories Pizza, said publicly they would refuse to cater the wedding of a same-sex couple.
"At the end of the day, my point is we are to promote human value, human dignity, nondiscrimination, honor, respect for all people to the extent that we can all co-exist and live out our values in a way that doesn't discriminate against others," Carmichael said, "and yet doesn't force us to adhere to choices upon which we don't agree. At the end of the day, we can find that's exactly what America is founded upon and we don't look to discriminate against anyone."
Kessler says in the video that allowing discrimination in West Virginia stops people from moving here.
"Certainly, young, talented people that historically in our state and in most other states absolutely don't hold those types of prejudices, don't feel welcome going and participating in a state where bigotry is acceptable," he says.
Miley also brings up whether LGBT individuals feel welcome in West Virginia.
"Many of the gay men and lesbian women that I know are business owners, they're professionals, they're very well-educated and they are productive members of our society who give back to our communities," he says, "and if we do anything that would cause them to feel unwelcome in West Virginia, we are not just doing those individuals a tremendous disservice but we're doing a disservice to ourselves, to our own communities, and to our entire state, because we're telling the world that no, we don't want to be diverse, we don't want to be inclusive, and we don't want anyone to come here and live free."
Delegate Saira Blair, R-Berkeley, also appears in the video. Blair, the youngest lawmaker in West Virginia's history, shares similar thoughts.
"My number one priority for West Virginia is that our citizens have a community in which they feel like they can thrive and our goal is to have the most educated, motivated citizens that we can find here in the state of West Virginia and in order to do that, we need to make sure that we include everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity," she says.
In an interview, Blair said, "the video is by no means where I stand on any legislation."
"It's a personal decision," she said. "I think everyone should feel that way and unfortunately we can't legislate those feelings."
She said she hasn't decided yet on her stance on a religious freedom restoration act.
"I want to listen to the people in my district and make an informed decision on that," she said.
Trump pointed to the U.S. Constitution.
"The United States Constitution guarantees to the citizens of this country equal protection under the law and government should not be in the business of discriminating against one class or group of people," he said.
The two state senators from Kanawha County, Democratic Sen. Corey Palumbo and Democratic Sen. Tom Takubo, appear in the video. Both are sponsors of a religious freedom restoration act.
Delegate Michael Ihle, R-Jackson, Delegate Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell, and Sen. Ron Miller, D-Greenbrier, also appear in the video.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.