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Update: Senate confirms Ruthie Johnson on party line vote/Eye On Boise
Senate Democrats opposed reconfirming northern Idaho Republican Ruthie Johnson of Hayden Lake to the nine-member Commission on Human Rights after she said employers should be able to fire workers for wearing clothing meant for the opposite sex. Seven Democrats Thursday opposed Johnson, with 28 Republicans favoring her reappointment. Debate lasted about an hour. … Minority Leader Kate Kelly, from Boise, contends Johnson’s views aren’t expansive enough to merit another three-year term. At her confirmation hearing last Friday, the 85-year-old Johnson was asked if gays should be protected from workplace discrimination. She responded, “If someone comes to work dressed in drag, they should be able to fire them,” according to meeting minutes/AP.
Question: Should Kootenai County Repub Ruthie Johnson be reappointed to the Idaho Commission on Human Rights?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Joker on April 09 at 12:54 p.m.
Put her back on there. She's old. What else does she have to live for besides Saturday morning breakfast at IHOP.
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Herb Huseland on April 09 at 12:57 p.m.
One cannot expect an 85 year old person to have the same values as the 20 something generation. We need a good mix of the youth that will lead this country in the future, and the aging that are our only path to our history. The idea that old people's opinions and standards are no longer valid, is to say that people barely out of high school know it all. I suggest that her opinions regarding cross-dressing are of her generation and she has the right to them. If you fill a commission with all ultra liberals you will just get revolutionary change, not a logical discussion.
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Sisyphus on April 09 at 1:20 p.m.
Ah yes, Herb, rationalize a desperate grasp on the past no matter how egregious the notion. By your standards we'd still have colored drinking fountains and slaves in the south.
Her opinions definitely matter but her position in this tribunal gives her power all out of proportion to the merits of her position. The future is with tolerance and equality for all. This breakdown of the California vote on Prop H8 demonstrates its only a matter of time and education, the scourge of your typical Idaho Republican legislator.
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OrangeTV on April 09 at 1:22 p.m.
Drag queens in the work place? While it would certainly make the work day more entertaining, I can't imagine this is a very common issue. I love dear Ruthie. Hilarious.
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Sisyphus on April 09 at 1:27 p.m.
Oops. Here ya go.
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/…
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Cis on April 09 at 1:37 p.m.
So are women who wear jeans and shirts to work, considered in “DRAG”? I think Ruthie needs some classes in tolerance and compassion.
and if you think that is the opinion of a younger generation, remember who I am, and my age… sorry age has nothing to do with this.. it has to do with tolerance… and compassion..
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IHike4Fun on April 09 at 1:40 p.m.
Unless the worker is in a one-person office with no contact with customers then their appearance (just like their behavior in general) has a direct impact on the morale of other workers and the impression the company makes on their customers. This translates to a direct loss of revenue for the company if the impact is negative. If they are violating a published company dress code then 'You Betcha' they should be fired!
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Cis on April 09 at 2:04 p.m.
By the way, this has already been tried and tested in Washington state, and the company lost. Times are changing… I not saying I'm comfortable with it…just say there has to be some tolerance.
And my thoughts are that Ruthie's wording is too general… as many women go to work in jeans and men's shirts and even boots, yet they are not called “in drag” .
Which I have to even question my own self… why is it I am comfortable with the women in men's clothes, yet I am a little uncomfortable with men in women's clothing? Why are we all?
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Sam_Crawford on April 09 at 2:49 p.m.
So I guess this means I can't wear lace panties to work anymore?
I would hope the other commissioners are tolerant and not polarizing like Ruthie appears to be.
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cantyoureadthesigns on April 09 at 2:51 p.m.
Well at first I thought maybe she was just a dottering old fool who didn't understand the question, as her answer had nothing to do with the question posed.
However, I've learned she's ALREADY ON THE RECORD of supporting discrimination against gays and lesbians, with her vote on the matter just two months ago, as a member of the Idaho Human Rights Commission. In regards to that vote, it has been reported that:
“I think the statement made by commissioner Ruthie Johnson best describes the attitudes of the “no” voters: she said, “I believe that the most discriminated people in Idaho are white Christian males”.
http://citydesk.boiseweekly.com/2009/…
Nutjob bigot.
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Ravenlady on April 09 at 2:51 p.m.
Come on, this is a Commission on Human Rights! Sounds as if the Ruthie does not have any tolerance. She should not be on something this important, no matter what age she is.
I liked what Sisyphus said. Go for it.
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Gary Ingram on April 09 at 3:25 p.m.
“A couple is a man and woman, married to each other.” Famous Ruthieisms from another venue. Go Ruthie, Go!
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MamaJD on April 09 at 3:43 p.m.
I know Ruthie and she has always been warm, sincere and politically conservative. She has served our State well in her many positions she has held dating all the way back to Sen. McClure and before. I sure would hate it if my reputation were summed up by one reported instance.
Maybe the Idaho Rights Commision is not where she is best suited. But to dismiss her entirely? Who's being closed minded while pointing the finger?
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Sisyphus on April 09 at 4:36 p.m.
Uh gee mama, you asking me to be tolerant of the intolerant? Na-gah-hah-pen. Placing a kindly old woman with archaic intolerant attitudes in a position of power doesn't lessen the atrocious nature of those attitudes. She thinks all gay people dress in drag fercryinoutloud. Plus I'd hate to think Digger or OTV could get fired because of their orientation simply because Ruthie is a nice old lady. But I agree that she serves her party well.
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Fishwife on April 09 at 4:45 p.m.
This is obviously a political payback re-confirmation. Repub's keep shooting themselves in the foot. Harwood; now Ruthie.
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cantyoureadthesigns on April 09 at 5:46 p.m.
I've been ruminating over MamaJD's musing, and agree, maybe 'ol Ruthie is just not in the right place at this time in social/political history, and maybe could still serve admirably in another public position.
I'm thinking, the “Out to Pasture” Committee would be a perfect fit for Ruthie's warm, sincere, and politically conservative passion, especially given that Idaho is a very agricultural “cultural” state and has lots of pastures. That need “overseeing”. Without any silly “tolerance”.
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PatrickH on April 09 at 7:47 p.m.
She needs to be off the commission plain and simple. I know people that have had SRS and are in the process of having SRS and they are not out to dress like Drag Queens, they simply want to live their life. If they dress and act in a way that is not disruptive to the workplace then there should be no problem. They don't want to “convert” people to being like them. They simply want to live in peace. The pain that many people who go through SRS or have gender disfunction go through is horrible and many times leads to suicide, Ruthie is out of line with her comments.
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MamaJD on April 09 at 8:47 p.m.
The commission is not the right place for Ruthie. But I do not want to overlook that Ruthie *has* served the public well in other positions. I don't have to agree with someone 100% nor do I require that they be accurate at all times. This particular opinion has a direct impact on her Commission service and I would hope that our leaders could look beyond partisan politics with regard to this position.
On the other hand, I get the impression that a couple of you don't know Ruthie, have never heard of Ruthie until now, and because of this one statement will never, ever wish to meet her. And that saddens me. Not everything is so black and white. One negative comment from her should not dismiss the numerous positive things she has done, not just for our county, but for the State of Idaho.
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