#West virginia

[vandaliatraveler]

Update from the native wildflower beds: the creeping woodland phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is now in full, vigorous bloom. This graceful, shade-loving perennial has a mat-forming habit that makes it an ideal ground cover. The plant's hairy, red-tinged stems, which sport delicate, spoon-shaped leaves, spread freely and need an occasional manicure to keep them from taking over. Also in bloom are the heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), whose tall, elegant flowering stalks are producing masses of flowers (it must like the location). The wild geranium is also loaded up with flowers (photos to come).

#appalachia #vandalia #west virginia #wildflowers #flora #spring #native plants #native wildflower garden #creeping phlox #creeping woodland phlox #heartleaf foamflower #eastern red columbine

[coochiequeens]

Is this kid even able to start transitioning? West Virginia placed restrictions on minors being able to transition.

 By RACHEL BOWMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 21:27 EDT, 21 April 2024 

A West Virginia transgender athlete won her shot put competition in her first sporting event following an appeals court ruling that allowed her to participate - as other contestants refused to play against her.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, 13, competed in the Harris County Middle School Track and Field Championship on Thursday, two days after a court ruled West Virginia’s transgender sports ban violates the teen's right under Title IX.

Pepper-Jackson took home first place in the shot put competition with her 32-foot effort, three feet further than second place, and she placed second in discus.

Despite being legally allowed to compete, some athletes protested Pepper-Jackson's participation by refusing to play against her. 

Five girls from Lincoln Middle School stepped up to the circle for their turn, then refused to throw the ball.

Becky Pepper-Jackson (pictured), 13, won her shot put competition in her first sporting event following an appeals court ruling that allowed her to participate

In addition to taking puberty blockers and estrogen hormone therapy, Pepper-Jackson has legally changed her name and has a birth certificate listing her as female

Offering the teen a 'choice' between not participating in sports and participating only on boys' teams 'is no real choice at all,' Judge Toby Heytens wrote in the ruling.'

The defendants cannot expect that B.P.J. will countermand her social transition, her medical treatment, and all the work she has done with her schools, teachers, and coaches for nearly half her life by introducing herself to teammates, coaches, and even opponents as a boy,' Heytens wrote.

In a statement, ACLU West Virginia attorney Josh Block deemed the ruling a 'tremendous victory.'Following the decision, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he was 'deeply disappointed' and vowed to continue fighting to safeguard Title IX.

'The law was passed more than five decades ago and was meant to address sex discrimination in education by ensuring that women had equal opportunities to participate in federally-funded programs.''We must keep working to protect women’s sports so that women’s safety is secured and girls have a truly fair playing field,' Morrisey said on Tuesday. 'We know the law is correct and will use every available tool to defend it.'

In the ruling, the appeals court reaffirmed that government officials had the authority to establish separate sports teams for boys and girls and enforce the line between them.

'We also do not hold that Title IX requires schools to allow every transgender girl to play on girls teams, regardless of whether they have gone through puberty and experienced elevated levels of circulating testosterone,' the court proclaimed.'We hold only that the district court erred in granting these defendants’ motions for summary judgment in this particular case and in failing to grant summary judgment to B.P.J. on her specific Title IX claim.'

In a dissenting opinion, Judge G. Steven Agee wrote the state can separate teams by gender assigned at birth 'without running afoul of either the Equal Protection Clause or Title IX.'

West Virginia is among the 24 states barring transgender women and girls from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity.

Pepper-Jackson told NBC News in October that she would not give up on her fight to compete in girl's sports.

'I want to keep going because this is something I love to do, and I’m not just going to give it up,' she said. 'This is something I truly love, and I’m not going to give up for anything.'

Her mother, Heather Pepper-Jackson, said, 'She likes to do the best in everything, be it algebra or running or shot put or discus.'

'She tries to excel in everything that she does, just like any other kid... if she didn't start the fight, who's going to?'

#usa #west virginia #Trans people can use the courts to force their way into women's sports but they can't make other women or girls compete with them #Title IX #Harris County Middle School Track and Field Championship

[gwydionmisha]

We warned you this is where this is going.

#West Virginia #Republicans #Trans Ban #Police State #Fascism #Genocide #News

[always-coffee]

WV Libraries Are Under Attack: How to Help

News came out yesterday that West Virginia House passed House Bill 4654. This would remove “bona fide schools, public libraries, and museums from the list of exemptions from criminal liability relating to distribution and display to a minor of obscene matter. …”

Potentially criminalizing librarians is bad, and it’s straight out of the fascist playbook. “Opponents of the bill said that while the bill does not ban books, the bill would have unintended consequences for public and school libraries, resulting in increases in challenges to even classic books and attempts to criminally charge librarians over books not pornographic in nature, but books that include descriptions of sex. They also said it could result in improper criminal charges against library staff,” Steven Allen Adams writes.

So, the question is: now what? What do we do? Where do we go from here?

If you live in West Virginia, call you state senate reps. You can find them listed here.

It’s okay to keep your message short:

“Hi, I’m [full name] calling from [ZIP code], and I’m a constituent of [Senator Name]. I am calling to voice my opposition to Bill 4654, because this is a dangerous step toward book banning. It could potentially harm librarians and libraries, which is incredibly wrong. Do not back this dangerous bill.

You can also ask how many people have called to voice their opposition to this bill. This may annoy the person on the phone, but they technically have to answer you. They may be evasive anyway. But you can either give them your contact information and tell them you’d like a call back or you can call back again later and ask for the tally.

The thing is, people rarely call in. A handful of calls is considered a lot, and the best thing you can do right now is make yourself a nuisance. Good trouble, etc.

Only call if you live in West Virginia, because they do not count calls from those outside their constituency. I am obviously not an expert, but if you have additional questions, ask them and I’ll try to help. I learned way more about how politics work during the last presidency than I thought humanly possible.

Additional resources:

#libraries #librarians #book bans #civic duty #speak up #west virginia

[zanderism]

#zander’s photos #handycam #southern west virginia #west virginia #daniels wv #southern gothic #forest #woods #regional gothic #appalachian gothic #rural gothic #1k #2k

[intheholler]

up some holler in red jacket, west virginia

#cr. jack corn #historical photo #appalachia #west virginia #appalachian gothic #american gothic #americana #small town america #holler #appalachian #appalachian mountains

[churchrummagesale]

Trans-Allegheny Asylum/Weston Hospital V

#35mm #west virginia

[catfindr]

#petfinder #catfinder #cat #kitten #kitty #witness #wv #west virginia

[1909999111110000]

#mine #west virginia

[theartsofrust]

#abandoned #steel mill #Weirton #West Virginia #2015

[tammuz]

Persian ewer with human and animal figures and calligraphy inscriptions, dating back to the 17th century CE. Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV.

Photo by Babylon Chronicle

#History #Persian #Calligraphy #West Virginia #Huntington #Museums #Archaeology

[vandaliatraveler]

Late October morning at Toms Run Preserve.

#appalachia #vandalia #west virginia #fall #toms run preserve #October #west virginia land trust

[deadmotelsusa]

No, this isn’t a postcard from the 60s. This is a room at the Koolwink Motel in 2024.

Unlike most of the motels featured in my posts, the Koolwink is alive and well and has been operating under the same name since 1936. Nestled in the hills of Romney, West Virginia, the motel buildings, office and rooms are a time capsule of the past. Each room is perfected with wood paneling and original midcentury furniture. The motel’s logo (Mr. Koolwink) has been featured on the motels signs, notepads, mugs and mints for the past 6 decades.

The Koolwink opened in the 30s by Nora and Henry Cline. In the 1950s, Wallace and Pauline Mauk purchased it from his great-aunt Nora. Today, it’s owned and operated by Wallace and Pauline’s daughter Kay and her husband Robert. Kay was kind enough to chat with me and share some history of the motel as well as a few older photos - if you look closely at the black and white shot, you can see Kay and her twin brother Jay as toddlers!

It’s so clear that this property has been well cared for. Our room was clean, affordable and gave us the exact experience we were looking for. The Koolwink’s website describes their motel as “a modern facility with a retro feel,” which is exactly what it is. I really loved my stay there. Kay left me with a hug and a “come visit us again soon.” I will definitely be back.

#not a dead motel #koolwink motel #romney #west virginia #midcentury motel #almost heaven

[mayanhandballcourt]

Photographer Brendon Burton

#photography #brendon burton #west virginia #abandoned #ruins #landscapes #new topographics

[zanderism]

something smells rotten and it’s starting to spread | beckley, wv

#Zander’s photos #aesthetic #rural gothic #rural america #southern gothic #Appalachian gothic #West Virginia #southern West Virginia #beckley West Virginia #beckley wv #regional gothic #Midwest gothic #gothic americana

[intheholler]

mcdowell county, west virginia

#appalachia #appalachian gothic #american gothic #southern gothic #americana #appalachian #small town america #West Virginia #river #houses #mountains #appalachian mountains