City should support NDO
We have followed with great interest the development of the Whitefish City Council’s community values resolution. We applaud the courage of city councilors to take a stand. We very much support this important work.
Led by local clergy and supported by many citizens, the Love Lives Here rally and follow-up activities show to us the best of Whitefish citizens: compassion, community outreach and inclusive values —also called neighborliness.
As health care professionals, we are intimately aware that, though usually unstated, discrimination does exist in the Flathead Valley regarding the LGBT community. They usually live in the shadows, concerned that they may suffer discriminatory consequences.
Housing and employment are just the most obvious factors that require the LGBT community to continually monitor their behavior and “watch their backs.” While a nondiscrimination ordinance won’t stop the myriad other consequences of bigotry, it would ensure that these most basic rights are protected.
When we first moved to Montana 38 years ago, such discrimination was open and commonplace, forcing LGBTs to either live a lie or face dire consequences, both legal and social.
Much has changed in the ensuing decades. Most young people view the “gay issue” as old and outdated. Most of the religious community have also grown from the bigoted “It is an abomination” attitude to a more inclusive one — “Judge not lest ye be judged.”
Even the professional health care community has grown — from homosexuality as a mental illness to complete repudiation of this as not based on any reliable evidence.
Nonetheless, the LGBT community still has no protection under the law, while there are legal protections against ageism, racism and sexism.
As such, we propose that basic human rights afforded to the LGBT community be explicitly stated in an ordinance by the Whitefish City Council.
We have read with interest the Pilot’s coverage of this issue, including dissenting letters to the editor. In a perfect world, we agree that such ordinances as we suggested add to the growing list of infringements on personal freedoms. But without protections, vulnerable populations historically have been and will continue to be excluded from life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
For those who are morally or religiously opposed to allowing these fundamental freedoms to the LGBT community, please understand — we are not opposed to you having your beliefs. Our Constitution affords freedom of religion, but it does not allow the establishment of a state religion. Not allowing equal rights for these citizens on religious grounds seems to imply just that.
Further, our Founding Fathers stated that ALL men are created equal and should have full access to the freedoms it elucidates.
Because of bigotry, we have had to enforce such access through laws. It is doubtful that many now would oppose the ending of slavery, the women’s suffrage movement or the child labor laws.
Someday we hope to look back on the discrimination against LGBTs in the same way — “How could we as a society have been so wrong?”
It is apparent our city councilors and our city attorney have the intelligence, courage and foresight to learn from the other Montana cities that have addressed this issue so as to fashion an effective and legal ordinance. We heartily encourage them to do so.
— Cooky and Steve Bryson, Whitefish