LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Law Passed in Morgantown, West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia recently added a non-discrimination law to protect LGBTQ individuals as part of a human rights ordinance.

Morgantown, West Virginia recently passed a non-discrimination law to protect LGBTQ individuals as part of a human rights ordinance. This addition came when the seven-person Morgantown City Council voted unanimously to add non-discrimination language to the city’s existing ordinance. While this might seem like a small change, Morgantown is only the 11th city in the state of West Virginia to create a law designed to protect people who identify as LGBTQ.

Specifically, the revision to the law prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations against individuals due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. Charles Town, Lewisburg Martinsburg, and Shepherdstown added similar LGBTQ protections in 2016. According to Fairness West Virginia, the State doubled the number of cities with LGBTQ non-discrimination ordinances in 2016. Additionally, as a result of Morgantown’s decision, now four of the five largest cities in West Virginia contain LGBTQ protective laws.

This law represents a movement in small towns throughout the United States to pass regulations that protect the rights of people who identify as LGBTQ. As a result, this decision by the Morgantown City Council marks a substantial step forward for protection and rights for LGBTQ individuals, especially considering there is no state law in West Virginia or federal law protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination.

The Previous History of LGBTQ Rights in Morgantown

In 2015, the advocacy rights group Human Rights Campaign, released a report on the poor way in which Morgantown treated LGBTQ individuals.

At the time, some of the weaknesses regarding LGBTQ law in Morgantown that the Human Rights Council noted included:

• Lack of non-discrimination laws for people who identify as LGBTQ.
• A municipality that welcomed LGBTQ workers but did not offer insurance plans for same-sex partners or transgender individuals.
• Lack of LGBTQ liaisons in the Morgantown mayor’s office, but it did note that Morgantown offered services to LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ homeless, LGBTQ elderly, and transgender individuals.
• Openly LGBTQ elected municipal leaders.

Understanding Advances in LGBTQ Law

Morgantown is just one of many small towns in the United States that have recently decided to add non-discrimination protections for individuals who identify as LGBTQ. These protections come at a time when there have been an increasing number of hate crimes reported against people who identify as LGBTQ.

It is also important to understand that currently, there are no federal laws that provide non-discrimination protections for individuals who identify as LGBTQ, and over half of all states lack such protections, including West Virginia. Many supporters of the Morgantown decision, however, believe that this decision will ultimately convince the state of West Virginia to pass this type of statewide law.

The Universal Life Church’s blog aims to inform its reader about the various developments and obstacles faced by people who identify as LGBTQ. While many issues surrounding LGBTQ rights have the potential to be complicated, this blog aims to describe these news events in an entertaining and easily understood manner.

(image courtesy of Yannis Papanastasopoulos)