Way to go Washington State!

This is wonderful news coming out of the State of Washington today. The State Senate passed a bill that will prohibit discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation. It would add sexual orientation to the other protected classes within the state.

This bill has been proposed and defeated over the last thirty years in the state. The shift of one Senator made this happen. I would like to salute Senator Bill Finkbeiner for changing his vote from last year, and voting in favor of this bill this year. His vote made the difference.

OLYMPIA -- The Senate today voted 25-23 to approve a gay rights bill and ended the debate over legislation that emerged in Washington the same year singer Anita Bryant began her “Save Our Children” crusade against such protections.

The bill would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, lending and employment.

Twenty four of 26 Democrats were joined by one Republican and approved the bill with a one-vote majority. [...]

Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, reversed his previous position to turn the tide this year.

“This has been a terribly difficult issue for me,” said Finkbeiner as he explained his change of heart.

“What we are really talking about here is...whether or not it’s OK to be gay or homosexual in this state. On whether or not it’s appropriate to be discriminating against or to discriminate against someone because of that.”

He said being gay or lesbian isn’t a choice.

“People don’t choose this. We don’t choose who we love, the heart chooses who we love,” Finkbeiner said.

“I don’t believe that it is right ... to say that it’s acceptable to discriminate against people because of that , because of who their heart chooses to love. I can not stand with that argument.” (source)