{"id":81462,"date":"2019-03-18T18:25:21","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T22:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/with-lgbtq-youth-at-risk-senator-joe-manchin-must-reverse-course-support-the-equality-act\/"},"modified":"2019-03-18T18:25:21","modified_gmt":"2019-03-18T22:25:21","slug":"with-lgbtq-youth-at-risk-senator-joe-manchin-must-reverse-course-support-the-equality-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/with-lgbtq-youth-at-risk-senator-joe-manchin-must-reverse-course-support-the-equality-act\/","title":{"rendered":"With LGBTQ Youth at Risk, Senator Joe Manchin Must Reverse Course & Support the Equality Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

With LGBTQ Youth at Risk, Senator Joe Manchin Must Reverse Course & Support the Equality Act<\/b><\/p>\n

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63%<\/a>\u00a0of West Virginians support adding nondiscrimination protections for the 58,000 LGBTQ people in the state<\/em><\/p>\n

Manchin\u2019s opposition to Equality Act continues long trend of the Senator opposing LGBTQ acceptance<\/em><\/p>\n

NEW YORK<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 GLAAD, the world\u2019s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today called on U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to\u00a0reverse course<\/a>\u00a0and support\u00a0the Equality Act, which would provide protections for LGBTQ people in West Virginia\u00a0at their workplace, in their schools, and in their homes.\u00a0In a statement, Manchin\u00a0voiced<\/a>\u00a0his concern about how his constituents could implement the Equality Act locally, if passed.<\/p>\n

GLAAD\u00a0launched<\/a>\u00a0a digital campaign asking West Virginians to demand the Senator support the Equality Act that would protect more than\u00a058,000<\/a>\u00a0people who identify as LGBTQ in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it\u2019s easy to understand Senator Joe Manchin\u2019s concerns about the federal government\u2019s power over local authorities, 58,000 LGBTQ West Virginians cannot have their safety remain on the line as they wait for their state government to defend them,\u201d\u00a0said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD<\/strong>. \u201cThe\u00a0Equality Act presents an opportunity to protect LGBTQ people from harassment at schools, at work, or even in their homes in his home state of\u00a0West Virginia \u2013 and that\u2019s about as local as it gets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just weeks prior to the re-introduction of the Equality Act, Manchin\u2019s West Virginia found itself in scandal after anassistant principal harassed<\/a>\u00a0a transgender boy<\/a> for using a bathroom according to his gender identity. According to reports, Pete Livengood misgendered the student by challenging him to \u201cprove\u201d his gender at a urinal. Senator Manchin\u2019s\u00a0cousin<\/a>\u00a0was the superintendent of the school involved with the dispute.<\/p>\n

Senator Manchin\u2019s opposition to the Equality Act continues a long history of the Democratic senator opposing LGBTQ acceptance, including opposing marriage equality to supporting the\u00a0Defense of Marriage Act<\/a>\u00a0(DOMA) and \u201cDon\u2019t Ask, Don\u2019t Tell<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Senator Manchin\u2019s Anti-LGBTQ Record<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0At the time of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage, was the only Democratic US Senator to\u00a0oppose<\/a>\u00a0marriage equality<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Only Democratic US Senator to not<\/a>\u00a0endorse the Equality Act.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The lone Democrat to\u00a0not vote for repeal<\/a>\u00a0of Don\u2019t Ask Don\u2019t Tell.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Supported<\/a>\u00a0the unconstitutional and discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Opposed the Obama administration\u2019s transgender guidance on transgender public school bathrooms,\u00a0insisting<\/a>\u00a0that it should be a state-by-state decision.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Said<\/a>\u00a0transgender students should use staff bathrooms rather than the regular student bathrooms that match their gender.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Did not join<\/a>\u00a0his Democratic colleagues and sign a friend-of-court brief in support of marriage equality.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Greeted the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling in support of nationwide marriage equality with the\u00a0terse and non-committal statement<\/a>: \u201cAmerica is a nation of laws, and we must respect and abide by the Supreme Court\u2019s decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

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March 18, 2019<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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