Comment on Delegates differ on whether 'Religious Freedom' bill is about same-sex marriage

By Erin Beck As Fairness West Virginia, an LGBT rights group, and the Family Policy Council of West Virginia, a group that opposes same-sex marriage and other LGBT-inclusive measures, argued over it last week, it seemed pretty clear that LGBT rights were at the center of the controversy over the West Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Still, some said that House Bill 4012 is not about civil rights. Kellie Fiedorek, an attorney with the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, said during a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee last week that RFRA laws protect you "regardless of sexual orientation." The bill's lead sponsor, Delegate John O'Neal, R-Raleigh, said "that really is a separate issue." Several supporters have pointed out that there is a federal RFRA, and RFRAs in several other states predate the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage. But Delegate Rupie Phillips, one of the bill's 10 co-sponsors, said late last week that LGBT rights actually are at the heart of the issue.