Tag: community

More than 35 organizations are partnering for an “All Kinds Are Welcome Here” Civil Liberties Lobby Day at the state capitol in Charleston March 2 beginning at 9 a.m.

The event is intended to promote a range of civil liberties issues impacting West Virginians, with a bipartisan news conference and rally, advocacy training and constituent meetings with state representatives. Activities concluded with a “beer not bigotry” happy hour at Sam’s Uptown Cafe on Capitol Street in Charleston, from 4-7 p.m.

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You’ve probably seen them around town: colorful stickers in the shape of West Virginia, filled with a friendly phase: “All Kinds Welcome Here.” They’re on car bumpers and bike helmets and, especially, the storefronts of local businesses around the state. The stickers are remnants of this spring’s fight over the so-called religious freedom bill that was passed by the House of Delegates in February and would have created a test to determine whether governmental actions were violating individuals’ religious freedoms. That sounds like an OK idea, but civil rights activists argued the bill would actually counteract local LGBT protection ordinances and give people license to discriminate against minorities. Read the full story »

The West Virginia Senate could vote on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Friday.

The “religious exemptions” bill act would let a person challenge any law that goes against his or her religious belief. The bill’s opponents fear that it could act as a cover for discrimination against the gay population and also negatively affect the state’s economy.

Some local businesses are protesting by putting stickers up that read “All Kinds are Welcome Here.”

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Local business owners are now displaying “All Kinds are Welcome Here” stickers to signal that the businesses are a “safe zone” open to all members of the community. The design is one of several symbols that have been created in the wake of the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” that is making its way through the state Legislature this year.

Paul Greco, owner of Sam’s Uptown Cafe and the Boulevard Tavern, both in Charleston, began handing out the first order of stickers, which were designed by graphic artist Jessica Kennedy, on Friday.

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Local businesses are making their political voices heard after the West Virginia House passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Paul Greco said he usually doesn’t get involved in politics but when the owner of Sam’s Uptown Cafe heard of the news out of the house he felt like he had to do something.

“We’ve always felt like this anyway. I mean this has always been our stance on stuff like this so it’s just kind of natural,” he said.

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The West Virginia House of Delegates passed HB 4012, the “West Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” Friday.

HB 4012 would allow discrimination against LGBT people and any person who does not fit into a person’s religious beliefs. The bill is going to send the message that the state of West Virginia is not open to all. Also, it would somewhat reinforce the stereotypes that people all over the country have about the Mountain State.

Those in favor of the bill have argued that it is our Constitutional right to have a free expression of religion and that this bill will just be a reaffirmation of that fact.

However, local businesses in Charleston have decided to show their opposition to the bill by posting stickers in their windows. The stickers display the state with the phrase “All Kinds are Welcome Here” and were designed by Jessica Kennedy.

Paul Greco, owner of Sam’s Uptown Café and the Boulevard Tavern in Charleston posted on his businesses Facebook page Friday his reasoning behind using the stickers.

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As Nicole Brown searched for companies to provide the cake, flowers and other items for her wedding, she felt a sense of trepidation with every new business she approached.

She worried about how they would respond when they found out that her partner, Sara, is a woman.

“It’s supposed to be this time where everything is perfect,” Brown said. “I respect other people’s beliefs, and I didn’t want to step on any toes.”

After she learned that the House of Delegates had passed the West Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a bill that opponents fear could allow businesses to refuse service to LGBT customers, Brown decided she didn’t want other same-sex couples to experience that anxiety.

The fourth-grade teacher created a design that reads “All Are Welcome Here” for LGBT friendly businesses to post to let customers know they don’t approve of discrimination.

“It’s important to me because I’m a part of this community and everyone should feel safe,” she said. “Everyone should feel welcome. No one should have to worry about whether a business is going to turn you away based on how you were born or the person you love.”

But before she could even get the word out about her design, local businesses had started working on a similar campaign to let customers know they can feel safe patronizing their establishments.

Paul Greco, owner of Sam’s Uptown Cafe and the Boulevard Tavern, in Charleston, said he hopes, “All Kinds are Welcome Here” stickers, which were designed by Jessica Kennedy, will be ready for distribution at Sam’s by the end of the week. Interested businesses can also reach out through the Sam’s Facebook page.

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