Fairness Elkins Seeks Community Feedback

For the entirety of 2015, Fairness Elkins has been working to pass legislation through the Elkins City Council that would make it illegal to fire someone or deny them housing based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity. Unfortunately, these criteria are not currently included in existing federal or state nondiscrimination laws. Several cities across the United States, however, have passed local ordinances that add these protections to local nondiscrimination policies. Six West Virginia cities have already passed such ordinances, including our state’s capital, Charleston, and our smallest town, Thurmond.

Our goal is to make Elkins next. Back in March, we successfully enacted a nondiscrimination resolution, which essentially holds the same sentiment– equal protection for all– but without the force of law. We want to be able to actually enforce these protections in order to make all of our citizens feel safe and welcomed in our community and to show outsiders what a progressive, inclusive town Elkins truly is.

Before we take our proposed ordinance in front of the City Council, however, we want to gauge the amount of public support we have through a survey. Click here to fill out the survey. We’re hoping to paint an accurate picture of what our community wants, and the more people who fill out the survey, the more accurate it will be. Results are completely anonymous unless you choose to submit your email address at the end. You do NOT have to be an Elkins resident to fill it out– as long as you have some tie to our community, we value your opinion and want to hear your concerns. Please share with local friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else you may please. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
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