Montana and Florida to Take Up LGBT Rights Measures

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-18 16:34:00 UTC
Topics:

anti-discriminationTwo more states are planning to address LGBT rights measures as their new legislative sessions prepare to start, focusing on expanding hate crimes and workplace anti-discrimination.

First Montana, where state Senator Carol Juneau is introducing a bill to expand Montana's hate crimes law to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and disability status.  Twenty-one hate crimes were reported in Montana in 2007, according to FBI reports, though hate groups do have a track record of being active in Montana (and neighboring Idaho).  Sen. Juneau, who also happens to be the longest serving Native American legislator in Montana's government, is hoping her bill doesn't face the same fate as previous attempts to expand Montana's hate crimes laws.  Efforts to expand the definition to include sexual orientation failed in 2005 in the Montana House of Representatives, with every Republican member and five Democrats voting against an expanded hate crimes laws.

Florida (which, incidentally, has a hate crimes law that protects sexual orientation) is looking at an anti-discrimination measure which would update the state's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.  State Rep. Kelly Skidmore filed the legislation at the urging of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a civil rights organization that works to dismantle discrimination toward sexual orientation in the Sunshine State.

Skidmore's take on the bill:

All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home.

It's good to see this effort happening on a statewide level, because right now there is an active effort by anti-gay activists to repeal a city-wide anti-discrimination ordinance in Gainesville, FL, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity in its definition.  As lawmakers behind this statewide measure point out, 89 percent of Floridians thinks that gay and lesbian people should have equal rights in the workplace and in public housing.  They also point out that the bill is necessary, citing an example of a gas station employee being fired last month for simply reporting anti-LGBT hate speech.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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