Senate endorses gay rights proposal
Articles / Civil Liberties
Date: Feb 17, 2005 - 09:09 AM
By ALLISON FARRELL
Lee State Bureau
HELENA - Gay rights advocates jumped for joy outside the Senate Wednesday after the body endorsed a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Senate Bill 199, sponsored by Sen. Ken Toole, D-Helena, was approved by the Senate on a preliminary 27-23 vote, mostly along party lines. If the bill clears its final vote, it will face a tougher battle in the House, where the party split is 50-50.
The bill seeks to add sexual orientation as a protected class under the Montana Human Rights Act. The act prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, disabilities, creed, marital status and age.
"I think this is about equality," said Sen. Jesse Laslovich, D-Anaconda, during the debate. "I think it's appropriate and incumbent on this body to say to the citizens of Montana that everyone is equal and no one is inferior."
Karl Olson, executive director of the gay rights group Montana PRIDE, said the Senate vote marks the first time a gay rights bill has passed one of the chambers in the Legislature.
"We're totally excited," Olson said. "I'm going to go home and give my partner a kiss."
Others were dismayed.
"I think it's a sad day for Montana," said the Rev. Harris Himes, president of the Montana Family Coalition and pastor of the Big Sky Christian Center in Hamilton. "I think it's a sad day for churches."
Sen. Dan McGee, R-Laurel, said the definition of "sexual orientation" in the bill is too broad, and thinks that the anti-discrimination law would protect pedophiles and sexual predators.
"Are we going to have to hire a sexual predator as a counselor?" McGee asked. "Are we going to license a pedophile so they can be a day-care worker?"
An amendment to the bill limits "sexual orientation" to heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Toole said pedophiles and other criminals would not be protected under the law.
Sen. Jim Shockley, R-Victor, said he voted against the bill because it could potentially bring gays into contact with young people at an impressionable time in their lives. He suggested that a gay authority figure, such as a Boy Scout leader or a schoolteacher, could turn some teens gay.
"I think going with the majority is probably going to be the best for most people," Shockley said.
Toole said the bill is about fairness.
"We know there's prejudice in society," Toole said. "Do we want to extend these protections or not? To me, the answer is yes."
All Republican senators except Sen. John Cobb, R-Augusta, voted against the measure while all Democratic senators except Sen. Gerald Pease, D-Lodge Grass, voted for the bill.
. Amazing how they conviently seem to ignore the fact that there've been numerous heterosexual pedophiles out there.
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