Gay rights bill passes House, faces test in Senate

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state House passed a gay civil rights bill today, for the third year in a row, and once again it faces an uncertain future in the state Senate.

The bill would ban discrimination against gays and lesbians in jobs, housing and insurance. It was first introduced 29 years ago.

"This legislation is not about a special group of Americans seeking special privileges," said Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, one of four openly gay legislators. "This legislation is about Americans who desperately love their country, some who are fighting for their country as we debate this issue here today. It is about Americans who work hard, who contribute to their communities and who love their families."

The bill would add to a state law that already bans discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, marital status and other factors. Fifteen other states have anti-discrimination protection for gays and lesbians on the books.

Murray said the bill has its best chance of succeeding, but he still doesn't have the votes in the Senate to pass it. The House has passed this bill five times before, but it's been killed in the Senate by both Democrats and Republicans.

"We're very close," Murray said.

Gov. Christine Gregoire said she hopes the Senate passes the bill and she will sign it into law if it gets to her.

After so many years of considering this bill, the state House has it down to a science. Only three members spoke on it: Murray and Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, in support, and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, in opposition. The final vote was 61-37.

"What will we be solving if we pass this? Will it be easier for all people to have adequate housing, employment, insurance? Or perhaps are we going to make it more difficult?" Newhouse asked. "By setting apart one group from the rest, don't we actually draw more attention to our differences and less to out similarities? To me that runs contrary to the idea of treating all people equally."

During the committee hearing on the House bill, Pastor Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond said that as a black man he was "appalled" by the bill because he does not believe gays and lesbians have suffered the same prejudice black Americans have.

On the House floor, Pettigrew, who is also black, he felt exactly the opposite way.

"I support this legislation because I know discrimination," Pettigrew said. "When you discriminate against one of us, you discriminate against all of us. This is not just about people who are gay or lesbian, this is about each and every one of us."

As the bill's sponsor, Murray takes every opportunity to emphasize that it's not about marriage. The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington on March 8. The controversy around that issue may scare some people away from gay civil rights, Murray acknowledged. But he said most lawmakers he talks to, Democrat and Republican, understand the difference.

"Every poll says the same people who don't want marriage equality, they also don't want gays and lesbians to be discriminated against," Murray said. "I think we're going to be able to make that distinction."

On Monday, Valentine's Day, there will be a rally in Olympia in support of Murray's anti-discrimination bill and of same-sex marriage rights, sponsored by the Religious Coalition for Equality.

The gay civil rights measure is House Bill 1515.