Why not call it out for what it is: It’s racism
Monongalia County has dozens of political and faith leaders, including most of our elected representatives, who actively and vocally support full equality for LGBTQ+ folks. We also have a loud minority who seem to believe that treating everyone in our community as a full and equal human being is in some way a threat to them.
That’s all well and good, and leads to some lively discussions in the pages of this newspaper, and on our local internet threads. But one recent development seems to have taken off in another, disturbing direction.
Monongalia County has a single black elected representative, 51st District Delegate Danielle Walker. She’s one of just four black citizens in our 134-member state Legislature.
All five 51st District House members are strong advocates for LGBTQ+ equality with very similar voting records. Our city leaders are equally united. But for some reason, local and statewide Republicans relentlessly attacked only Delegate Walker for her support of our LGBTQ+ neighbors.
Walker hasn’t made personal attacks against anyone at all. That’s not her style. She simply speaks the truth and advocates for equality for all our neighbors, just as so many other leaders do.
But, for some reason, only Walker has drawn fire, not just from local rivals but from GOP leaders statewide. Of all the LGBTQ+ allies in the state to choose from, they aim their fire at Walker.
It looks like a duck. It swims like a duck. It quacks like a duck. It is a duck.
It’s racism, clear and simple.
If we allow these biased attacks to stand unchallenged, we are complicit in the racism that has founded the attacks. I won’t be silent. I hope you won’t be, either.
Stephanie Zucker
Working Families Party
Morgantown
