Cries for equality rang throughout the streets of Hinton during the Marching with a Voice event Friday, June 17. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies peacefully marched through town, raising their voices to ask for fair and equal treatment.
One local business, Botany Tropicals, is part of the inspiration behind Marching with a Voice. The store’s owners, who are openly gay, recently announced that they must find a new building to house their business, and much of the community has rallied behind them.
Jordan Casey, one of the owners of Botany Tropicals, regularly updates their social media followers on their journey to find a new permanent location. In his initial announcement regarding the need to move the store, Casey noted that the development was entirely unexpected. He stated the reasons given to them for the eviction is that they “are too successful and have too much foot traffic.” At the time of writing, The Hinton News has been unable to get in touch with the landlord for confirmation. To follow their updates, visit the Botany Tropicals Facebook page. They also have a hashtag for supporters to use, #istandwithbotany.
In honor of Pride Month, the continued struggle for equality and Botany Tropicals’ search for a new location, organizers came together and created Marching with a Voice.
As a crowd gathered in front of Botany, a sea of colors representing the various Pride flags filled the space. Chatter abounded, but the second a representative of Beckley Pride began to speak, a hush fell over the crowd. She talked about several laws the LGBTQIA+ community is fighting for on the local, state and federal levels.
One of the laws march participants are calling for is The Equality Act. This bill would prohibit sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity discrimination. Multiple areas are included in the protections outlined in the bill. According to the official Congress description, the protections are for “public accommodations and facilities, education, Federal funding, employment, housing, credit and the jury system.” Additionally, the bill prohibits any individual from being denied access to a shared facility such as a public restroom based on gender identity. The bill passed the House on Feb. 25, 2021.
Another law in question is Angel’s Law, named for Angel Harless. According to reports, in the late 2010s, Harless was attacked in a bar in Charleston, West Virginia, by a man shouting homophobic slurs. Allegedly, the individual hit Harless with a glass bottle, eventually knocking her out.
The Beckley Pride representative ended her speech by saying, “Our diversity needs to be acknowledged, celebrated and protected. Our beloved song we sing all the time; take me home, country roads to the place where I belong. We can’t just tell people they belong, we have to show them.” Thunderous applause erupted following this statement.
One of the event organizers, Candice Harless, said, “We’re here to raise awareness and spread love and support for Pride Month and also break down some stigma in the area.” Harless, who grew up in the area, continued, saying, “I’m from Hinton. I love Hinton, it’s my hometown. I live in Mercer County now and I’m the chairman and founder of Mercer Pride. It’s just my hometown. I’m very passionate about it and prevention in general, and this is part of prevention.”
A participant, Morgan Glanden, 18, spoke about why she was participating. She said, “For me, it’s being gay. The fact that these guys in here and the person that was assaulted in this town, they should be allowed to exist without having to fear for losing their business or their life, or even their safety or comfort in the place where they live.”
For more information about local Pride events, visit www.beckleypride.org, www.greenbriervalleypride.com, or www.mercer.com/our-thinking/pride-2022-small-actions-make-a-big-difference.html. To learn more about the Equality Act, information on H.R.5 is available at congress.org.
