By John Mack Freeman
It’s always massively celebrated when a large urban area or an entire state passes LGBT protection laws. But, not everyone lives in large city. There are only five residents of Thurmon, West Virginia, but this week, they became the smallest town in American to pass an LGBT rights ordinance. Via West Virginia Public Broadcasting:
In a unanimous vote Monday night, the town of five residents adopted employment, housing and public accommodation protections to a new town-wide Human Rights Act.
Since 2009, Fairness WV, a statewide advocacy organization, has been working with communities to pass these types of ordinances. In a statement, Executive Director Andrew Schneider says the Thurmond ordinance is stronger than current protections in the statewide Human Rights Act. Bills to extend protections in employment and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity have failed in the West Virginia Legislature for years. Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Athens, and Harpers Ferry all have adopted similar ordinances banning discrimination against LGBT citizens.