The coalition intends to rally businesses to identify themselves as supporting full equality, while pressuring the council to do the same, said Deb Stallings, a leader of the Napa Valley Unity League.Seems like there's some technical difficulties, however.
“We had to do something. We can’t have the Napa council’s decision have an impact on the businesses of the Napa Valley,” she said.
Over the weekend, some two dozen “pro-equality” businesses signed up for the coalition’s Web site...
Napa Valley Wine Train will support the coalition’s equality declaration welcoming all visitors, company spokesperson Melodie Hilton said Monday. “We feel very, very strongly at Wine Train that everybody be accepted,” she said. [NVR]
[Update: The correct--and functioning--web address for Napa Valley's Equality Coalition's website is: www.napavalleyequality.com]
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There is no fun in funding your own discrimination. I like the idea of being able to know which business are gay friendly so that we can support those people, and avoid giving our money to people who would then turn around and use our money to take away our rights or to marginalize us in any way.
ReplyDeleteSafety as well as comfort are also a concern for many LGBT people. While straight people may not be able to appreciate what it feels like to be threatened or attacked as a result of your orientation, most gay people can. "Sexual orientation discrimination takes many forms. Severe anti gay prejudice is reflected in the high rate of harassment and violence directed toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in American society. Numerous surveys indicate that verbal harassment and abuse are nearly universal experiences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people." (American Psychological Association) "
Hey you writer of the above article...
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with this comment:
"...it's another good step to helping the Napa Valley... [become more] ...equality minded...what really will change minds (and hearts) is good old fashioned relationship building..."
I think that there are a great many people who had a friend, neighbor or relative as a child and lost this connection due to public opinion (or because many of us leave our home towns to go on with our education, careers or an acceptable place to live and then, never return).
Over time, we have watched children grow into fine adults, some, of whom have a different life style, some of whom may be our own children.
Some of us had became so focused on our own walk of life (perhaps, in another country, raising our children or caring for an elder), that we didn't notice what is happening around us, we were unfamiliar with other ways or are just now realizing the need to stand up for the issue of equality_in this incidence or manner.
E-n-s; Though straight people may not know what it feels like to be gay, just as Van Gorder mentioned that he too was assaulted when he was with friends believed to be gay, many of us have been assaulted either verbally or physically for non-justifiable reasons (and the emotional repercussions do last).
As in any social setting, I feel out of place at some GLBT events, but have become familiar enough with individual people to find a subject of mutual discussion and have come to understand some issues that are of foremost importance.
We should all be able to feel comfortable with who we are. We become comfortable with others as we become familiar with their behavior or ideas, have an understanding of them and enjoy their companionship...kinda like family!
[An anonymous poster hoping to share a thought]