A Fayette County lawmaker, speaking Friday against an amendment to a bill that would allow riding-sharing services like Uber in the state, called being gay a "changeable characteristic" and said that allowing gay people to have special civil rights protections would encourage pedophiles and bigamists to seek the same.
Speaking from a prepared statement, Republican Delegate Tom Fast opposed Delegate Stephen Skinner's amendment to the Uber bill that would have added LGBT non-discrimination language to the legislation.
"Once homosexual, bisexual and trans-gender behavior is elevated to a protected status, there is nothing to stop bigamy, pedophilia or any other sexual practice from receiving the same protection," Fast said. "It should be remembered that when elevating any activity to special status, opposing activities and viewpoints lose protection. "If sexual orientation laws become commonplace, then any person who speaks against the sexual practice will be vilified, their rights will be thwarted and their freedom of religion, of conscience, will be crushed."
This is the second year the Legislature is considering a bill that would allow ride-sharing services like Uber operate in the state. Last year, when lawmakers tried to pass a similar bill, Fast tried to amend the bill to remove language requiring Uber drivers not to discriminate against their clients. The bill had included language that protected people based on race, gender, sexual orientation and some other characteristics. Last year the bill ultimately died.
This year Delegate Stephen Skinner, D-Jefferson, moved to amend the bill (House Bill 4228) to add non-discrimination language.
Fast said from the floor he supports the bill to allow Uber, but not with the non-discrimination language.
"I believe that is a dangerous thing to elevate as a protected status a characteristic that is a chosen characteristic," he said. "That would be harmful and this is so out of place. If this is something that this state wants to do, then it ought to be done in a bill specifically for that purpose, not in a transportation bill."
Fast did not respond to a phone call and email Saturday afternoon.
In 2009, Fast was part of an article in The New York Times about a lesbian couple in Fayette County who were trying to adopt a child. Fast, a lawyer who was appointed to represent the child, filed a motion seeking to remove the child from the couple's home even though the girl "seemed to be doing well," according to the Times.
According to the article, Fast argued that children raised by gay parents were more likely to be sexually or otherwise abused and to be gay themselves. The motion ultimately led to a legal battle in which the state Supreme Court sided with the couple, allowing them to adopt the child.
Skinner, who is the state's first openly gay lawmaker, responded to Fast's comments Friday from the House floor.
"I will say that the idea that someone chooses their orientation has really no basis in reality," Skinner said. "Let me start with myself. Why would somebody who wants to run for public office choose to be gay? Let me tell you, you don't get any benefit."
The House of Delegates sided with Fast and rejected Skinner's amendment 65-27. The bill is scheduled for a third reading Monday.
Reach Lori Kersey at Lori.Kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.