Sexual orientation bill passes
OLYMPIA – Years ago, Rep. Ed Murray’s nephew was working as a young page in the state House of Representatives when Murray introduced a bill to make it illegal to discriminate against gays and lesbians.
The ensuing arguments grew so bitter that Murray’s nephew fled the House floor in disgust.
On Friday, that same nephew – now a married adult – watched as the House passed Murray’s proposal, 61 votes to 37. Among local lawmakers, the vote broke down along party lines – Spokane-area Democrats voted for the bill; Republicans voted against it.
“Fairness is not the reality for some Washingtonians who happen to be lesbian or gay,” Murray, D-Seattle, told lawmakers before the vote. The bill, he said, “is about Americans who work hard, contribute to their communities and love their families.”
House Bill 1515 would add sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination law, which already bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, disability or the fact that a person uses a trained guide dog. The bill does not allow same-sex marriage.
It’s important – and good business – for the state to show that it’s tolerant, Murray said.
“We have the opportunity to send a message of acceptance,” he said.
Just one lawmaker spoke against the proposal, although more than three dozen voted against it.
“To me, this vote is not a referendum on acceptance or rejection,” said Rep. Dan New-house, R-Sunnyside. “A ‘no’ vote, to me, doesn’t mean I oppose civil rights. … Bigotry, discrimination are unacceptable.”
His main concern, he said, “is that by setting apart one group from the rest, don’t we actually draw more attention to our differences and less to our similarities? To me, that runs contrary to the idea of treating all people equally.”
He urged lawmakers to look around the House chamber, which includes a broad cross section of legislators. He praised the House’s four openly gay lawmakers, saying they’re courageous and widely respected.
The time for categorizing people, Newhouse said, has passed. He quoted Martin Luther King Jr.’s hope for a time when people were judged “by the content of their characters.”
“I think we’re getting there,” he said, “and I don’t want to do anything that would get in our way.”
But discrimination still exists, said Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, who is black.
“I stand here with my heart almost pounding out of my chest. Not because of nervousness, but because this means that much to me,” he said moments before the vote. “I know discrimination. I’ve experienced it. And I’m telling you, if you haven’t experienced it, it’s the most painful, disheartening, debilitating thing you could ever experience in your life.”
The bill defines sexual orientation as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality and gender expression or identity. The bill would make it illegal to discriminate on those bases in hiring and insuring, as well as renting or selling real estate. The anti-discrimination law is administered by the state Human Rights Commission, which can hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and send violations to an administrative law judge.
The bill now moves on to the Senate. It has died there before, but with Democrats holding a majority in the Senate, proponents of the bill say it has the best chance in years of passing.