SB238 Update- Gazette Online Chat With Del. Webster (D) Kanawha
March 25th, 2009 ·
7:38 am
@
pride -
Hello,
At 9:30 this morning Delegate Carrie Webster held a interactive chat session on the Charleston Gazette. Below are questions posed to her and her responses. These are verbatim as they were posted to the Gazette.
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9:37
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[Comment From Charlie]
We would like an update on SB238 and how Delegate Webster thinks this bill will help the West Virginia economy |
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9:39
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Delegate Carrie Webster: I am lead sponsor on House side and I do think it is imp issue – non discrimination policies and laws are business friendly. To me, its a very important piece of legislation and I will push vigorously for its passage.
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9:40
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[Comment From Amanda]
Delegate Webster- First off, please accept my sincere thanks for your service to West Virginia. I appreciate and pray for you and all of our local, state and federal elected officials. A two part question…. Part One – More than 90 percent of West Virginians believe that they, not politicians or the courts, should define marriage. While you are welcome to disagree with me on the definition of marriage – I believe it to be one man and one woman – why do you oppose allowing a state wide referendum vote to define marriage, when clearly the citizens of West Virginia want to decide this moral issue? Part Two – I would like you to clarify recent remarks to the media. You recently referred to calls to your office regarding this subject as a “manipulation.” I’m among those who contacted you. How is a matter that I care about and express concern over to my democratically elected representatives a manipulation? I thought it was my duty as a citizen to actively voice my concerns to my representative? Secondly, you’ve said that allowing citizens to decide this issue would be a “disservice to the public.” How is the principle of self-governance a disservice? Thank you for answering my question.
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9:44
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Delegate Carrie Webster: Amanda, I sincerely apologize if my remarks, as depicted in media, offended you. Let me clarify. My staff was harrassed by many people, incl people from out of state, who said they were told [by outside group] to contact me to support issue. The manipulation to which I refer is directed at certain individuals [or groups] that have convinced voters that we do not have laws that already define marriage. We do. In my view, they are trying to defeat SB 238. The issue is not before my committee, but like Senator Byrd and many others, I do not believe our constitutions should be used to discriminate – its a progressive document that should only be amended in the most unique circumstances. Our law does what you want it to do.
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10:03
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[Comment From Deep Blue]
Delegate Webster, concerning efforts to amend the state constitution to allow only Straight couples to marry: Why not re-phrase the measure to grant “marriage” to Straight couples and “civil unions” to Gay couples? Both arrangements would have the same legal benefits and responsibilities, therefore law-abiding, taxpaying Gay couples in West Virginia would be afforded equal protection under the law. I’m willing to be diplomatic about this. |
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10:06
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Delegate Carrie Webster: I give you credit – that concept is very creative. Given that George W. Bush publicly support civil unions (at same time he opposed gay marriage) you’d think there would be some middle ground. On the other hand, in addition to laws we have that only recognize marraige as between a man and woman, clergy can never be compelled to marry someone. In fact, you can get a certificate on line to marry people right now if you pay a fee. So, I am not sure why there is so much focus on a constitutional amendment.
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10:11
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[Comment From Chuck Anziulewicz]
As someone who has been actively involved with West Virginia’s Gay community for some 20 years, I find it dismaying that every year proposals to protect LGBT West Virginians from job discrimination gets beaten back. Admittedly we don’t have the political clout of the Religious Right. What do we have to do? Too many productive Gay people in this state continue to live in fear for losing their jobs if their employers find out. |
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10:16
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Delegate Carrie Webster: Chuck, it literally breaks my heart and I do FEEL your pain and the pain of others. Words cannot describe the horror I felt during the member debate last year in my Judiciary committee room. We see President Obama and think, “wow, look how far we have come.” Then, you hear the comments and hatred we have seen these past few weeks and say “Wow, we have such a long way to go.!” In my view, and I have never really held back, legislators in many areas just do not want take the heat from constituents. I don’t think the majority are actually against 278. Rather, they get push back from groups that spew hatred and use scare tactics to convince their constituents these bills do things they do not. I give you my word, I will and have done all I can do to push this issue forward.
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On a more humorous note, Delegate Webster did take up the issue of the Barbie ban at the legislature
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10:07
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[Comment From Derek]
Hello Delegate Webster. West Virginia has received international publicity for the recent proposal to ban Barbie. Is this a legitimate expenditure of time for you and other legislators to consider, and if so, aren’t there countless products on the market that should similarly be banned? Or is this really just a grandstanding gesture that brings unnecessary ridicule to our state? We have enough problems just fending off the negative stories about Corridor H from CNN and Fox. |
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10:10
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Delegate Carrie Webster: I agree with you about other products that should be banned. However, I will point out, respectfully, that legislators, like citizens, are entitled to exercise their free speech, and in this instance, a legislator merely put a bill in that would ban something (i.e. Barbie). Truth be told, it probably took only 10 to 15 minutes to prepare that bill for introduction. No one ever planned to run it and it was the media that saw it and brought it to the public. If you look up bills that have been introduced, your jaw will drop. One requires a parenting class and certificate before one can get married, and that is mild compared to others. I regret the negative depiction but sexy sells these days..
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Delegate Webster is the Chair of the Judiciary committee in the House of Delegates. She also represents district 31. Many consider district 31 to be the largest population center for GLBT West Virginians.
dave
2 years ago
Glad to see folks keeping Webster on her toes. She has been a great ally for LGBT residents in Charleston and I hope she continues to push in the progressive direction.
dan
2 years ago
Just my input that did not fit into the time restraints of the discussion:
As a gay man living openly in West Virginia, I have always been honest and outright with employers concerning my sexuality. Although legally the question is off limits, I explain that if my sexual orientation overshadows my education, intelligence and work ethic, that is a flaw of their own character, and I could not respect them in a supervisory position. Unfortunately many acquaintances and friends are not that assured or fortunate and are either working while “closeted” or have not been hired due solely to their sexual orientation and not their abilities. This is theoretically primeval and ethically wrong. Our opponents in this quest (based on religious dogma and fear) would site that sexual orientation is a choice that should not be legally protected. However I have always found this argument both ironic and hypocritical, in that, if any legally protected status is a choice it would be that of religion. While I would in no way limit another’s religious choice, no matter how ludicrous or malicious, that right should in no way impede the innate or even chosen characteristics of another person. Regardless of the argument everyone (including the transgendered who have been removed from this legislation due to cowardice) should be afforded the opportunity of employment and housing based on their basic humanity and abilities.
-dan connery
dan
2 years ago
The Gazette’s next live chat will be April 2nd at 9 AM with anti-gay House Minority Leader Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha)