Gay-rights bill hearing crowded but civil

OLYMPIA — Tuesday's House hearing on gay-rights legislation was packed but routine, given the topic. Perhaps it's a sign of how long the issue has been debated.

In 1993, so many people showed up for a hearing on the bill that lawmakers had to move it to House chambers. The hearing ran three hours and was often chaotic, with people yelling and clapping.

There was little of that Tuesday. But Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, chairwoman of the State Government Operations and Accountability Committee, did cut a few people off. Earlier she had warned, "I will not allow derogatory remarks."

Several people noted that there was a "Groundhog Day" aspect to the hearing. The arguments on both sides have been heard repeatedly over the past two decades.

That's not to say people don't still have strong feelings. Dozens showed up to provide emotional testimony at the two-hour hearing, and the crowd spilled into the hallway.

Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, the bill's longtime sponsor, told committee members it's time to stop the debate and pass the legislation. The gay-rights bill, he said, "is not about quotas and it is not about affirmative action. It does not impact small business and it does not impact religious organizations. And it is not about marriage. This is about citizens of this state who work hard and pay their taxes. ... They ask simply to be treated fairly."

Other supporters included people representing the governor's office, the United Methodist Church, the Urban League of Seattle and Hewlett-Packard.

Those opposing the legislation said homosexuality is a sin and that granting gay rights would promote it as an acceptable lifestyle. They also argued that the legislation would lead to gay marriage.

"There's a sense of inevitability about this bill going through," said Steven O'Ban, a Seattle attorney who opposes the legislation. "I'd submit we have a case of the majority [Democratic lawmakers] imposing its morality on a minority."