Why is WV Tourism Promoting Gender Ideology?

Update, 6.10.2025: in response to a request for statement mentioned in this article, this reply was received today:  "The affiliates in question are not managed by the West Virginia Department of Tourism. Our department does not sponsor any pride events." - Lauren Bodnar, Director of Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships, WV Dept. of Tourism

Doesn't the beauty of our Mountain State speak for itself?  Don't people travel to WV in order to enjoy our Wild & Wonderful outdoor activities? 

Why then, is the WV Tourism industry and their affiliates such as Visit Southern WV and Fayetteville CVB fixed upon promoting gender ideology to the public?  A harmful and intolerant ideology that is opposed by most West Virginians and nearly one million gay people across America who say that their movement has been hijacked by radical activists. 

Divisions over this issue have been brought to light recently in Fayetteville, WV due to planned pride events on June 14, Flag Day.  It did not become an issue because like-minded people want to gather in town, but rather because pride organizers wish to promote a subjective moral framework to the public through events geared toward children. 

The controversy has left some asking the question, why is our tax revenue being used to promote an ideology that runs counter to the moral framework of most West Virginians? Why are we funding promotions that lead to grooming children at drag queen shows and anti-Christian sentiments? 

In polls (May 2025) conducted by Beacon News West Virginia, presented to the residents of the Mountain State, two questions were asked with regard to tourism. The first poll asked: “When you want to visit a town or city in West Virginia that is family friendly, are pride events on your list that entice you to go?”  
An enormous 77.9% responded: NO ; a smaller percentage, 22.1% responded YES.

In the second survey, the question was asked, “Do you support WV tax revenue being used to promote pride events in West Virginia?”  The results from this question yielded a 66.3% NO response to a 33.7% group that responded YES.

It is surprising that in a red state like West Virginia, one that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump and his stance against woke ideology, that we have WV tax revenue funding, in part, the promotion of an aggressive LGBTQ agenda.  An agenda that seeks to replace the morality established by God with a subjective morality established by mankind.  

In 2025, the WV Legislature passed bills such as SB 456, otherwise known as the Riley Gaines Act to codify definitions for “man and woman”, based on biology.  This became necessary due to the LGBTQ agenda promoting such things as “gender fluidity” and supporting male participation in female sports which also forces girls to share locker rooms with boys. 

Last month, Governor Morrisey signed SB 154 which prevents teachers from keeping secrets with students who express an interest in "transitioning" to the opposite sex.  The bill requires public school employees to report to parents if a student is attempting to identify with a sex that is different than what is identified on their birth certificate.

West Virginia SB 299 also passed in 2025, thanks to Senator Chris Rose, who introduced the bill. This legislation prohibits “gender altering medication” such as puberty blockers and “gender reassignment surgery” to individuals under 18 years of age.  This became essential to protect West Virginia’s children from the harms of so called, "gender affirming care".  Harms revealed in the Cass Report  that led to the world’s largest gender clinic, Tavistock, to close their doors. 

These are just a few examples of why legislation has become necessary in order to combat the intolerant LGBTQ agenda, which promotes the idea that children may be born in the wrong body and that sexuality, including unnatural, unfounded sexuality such as "genderqueer" or "two-spirit" should be discussed and identified as early as elementary school.  It’s a practice of indoctrination that, increasingly, West Virginians are tired of— ‘leave our kids alone’ has become the latest mantra to ring across the state in Christian rallies and prayer gatherings.

Even so, some cling to the false notion that any opposition to the LGBTQ agenda is about “hate and intolerance”, when that is simply untrue.  You can still encounter “trans rights are human rights” posters, especially at the State Capitol during legislative sessions, but thanks to authors like Abigail Shrier, tremendous strides have been made in exposing the roots of the transgender craze. In her NY Times and international best-selling book, Irreversible Damage, you can review the facts and make your own decision about the monumental rise of children identifying as “trans” in recent years as well as the therapies that actually help children who believe they are "in the wrong body". 

Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosely also have become known across America as two of the most vocal detransitoners, ones who have been through the “gender affirming care” experiments only to discover the heartbreaking realities that they will live with for the rest of their lives.  They speak out regularly to educate the public, including state legislators, on the damages gender ideology creates and the intolerance of the aggressive LGBTQ community.

Understanding the toxicity created by gender ideology, knowing that we have had to pass legislation to protect our children from this damaging influence, it is surprising to see that West Virginia is promoting it through the tourism industry. 

Beacon News West Virginia reached out to the WV Tourism Advisory Council in past months as well as Lauren Bodnar, the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships for WV Tourism more recently in order to ask questions about this issue. 

The request for a statement for this article and specific question posed to Lauren Bodnar through an email on May 29, 2025, was, "Why is our tourism industry using tax revenue to promote an ideology based on sexual identities?"   No response from anyone in WV Tourism has been received.

And so, the question is posed to you, Governor Morrisey, and the God-fearing people of this great state:  Why is the Department of West Virginia Tourism and its affiliates promoting an ideology to the general public, including children that is proven harmful?  Proven to run counter to the majority of people in this state that look to God for their moral framework?