Washington State Gay Discrimination Bill Dies

With all the states passing constitutional bans on gay marriage, and many states still allowing gay people to be fired from their jobs just for being gay.....

All of this leaves me wondering. Are we are ever going to win anything? Will things get better for us? I’m getting to where I can’t stand my own country, and I hate that.

Discrimination on the basis of gender, race or religion has long been illegal in Washington state -- but for gay people, the wait for equal protection continues.

Senate Republicans thwarted civil rights legislation for gays and lesbians yesterday by sending the bill back to a committee where it is likely to die without forcing them to take a potentially damaging opposition vote. The House passed the bill in February on a 61-37 vote.

Though Democrats said the bill was not dead and vowed to revive it, the move was a major setback for the effort to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, adamantly condemned the move.

“The Republicans locked up on behalf of discrimination,” Brown said. “With all the issues we have to deal with this session -- transportation, the economy, education -- this is their big stand? It should be an embarrassment to them.”

Brown said moving the bill to another committee is “essentially a vote to perpetuate in Washington state the perspective that it’s OK to discriminate by a landlord or an employer or a banker.” (source)