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Some 30 states have zero discrimination protections for gays and lesbians in housing. Which explains why West Virginia’s Darby and Erika Johnson were so easily cast aside by a potential landlord whom, the couple claims, refused to rent them an apartment because they’re gay. This counts as a “news story”; alas, it would only be news if it didn’t happen so often. And it’s certainly not a story.
So while we hear about West Virginia’s Republicans trying to force a vote on banning gay marriage, so resumes the argument that, hey, sometimes marriage isn’t the holy grail of equality.
(video via WSAZ)
Disgusted American
I hope that landlord gets a married cpl…a husband who’s a wife beater / dead beat dad….who he has to take to court to force out..after months and months of crt battles.
terrwill
In West Virginia, they follow the hillbilly code… they would only allow two women to live as a couple if they were sisters……..
AlwaysGay
Denying this couple housing has everything to do with their homosexuality.
mountainword
While I denounce the “hillbilly” stereotype, I have to say that backward thinking like this is what creates those stereotypes – both in and out of WV.
It is sad to say, but here in WV will probably be the “Alabama” of the gay marriage movement – only pulled in by kickin’ and screamin’.
alex
Unfortunately, the case for equal marriage rights has arguably become the most important goal for lesbians and gays in this country. It seems that the repeal of DADT is number two. I say “unfortunately” because some of us don’t want to get married or be trained to kill for our country.
Ideally, we would have started with equal protection against housing and employment discrimination. Getting that would have been easy; only a true loon would publically argue that gays shouldn’t be allowed to get an apartment or a job. Then, we could have gone after marriage.
Civil rights movements, however, often spark on dramatic events. That’s how I see Prop 8 in California. The protests did help our cause; I just wish we could rally that type of support for equal housing and employment discrimination.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
West Virginia doesn’t need racist epithets thrown at them as the State with the highest unemployment and poverty rate in the country. Alex is right about the needs of lgbts who face housing and employment discrimination which President Obama and the current Congress has not acted on, killing ENDA in committee.
case419
@terrwill: come on now. that statement is just as ignorant as this whole story.