Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Kansas Senate committee advanced a bill on March 19 that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Kansas Act Against Discrimination, a measure that is long overdue. It is possible, however, that this important piece of legislation could be put on hold.
Under Kansas law, it is illegal to discriminate in public accommodations, employment, and housing for the following characteristics: race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin and ancestry. Sexual orientation and gender identity should be added to this list in order to protect the LGBT community of Kansas.
The Kansas Equality Coalition supports the addition to the bill, and it was voted for by Sens. Marci Francisco (D-Lawrence), Roger Reitz (R-Manhattan), Oletha Faust-Goudeau, (D-Wichita), Tim Owens, (R-Overland Park) and Pete Brungardt (R-Salina).
Using sexual orientation as a reason to prohibit someone from housing, or as grounds to remove someone from their job, is absurd. The United States is a country founded on equality for all people, and this bill would just be insuring that Kansans are holding true to this American ideal.
Currently, Senate Majority Derek Schmidt (R-Independence) does not know whether he will bring the bill up before the full Senate. In a Lawrence Journal-World article from March 22, he is quoted as saying, “I’d just like to understand why a majority on the committee thought it needed to be debated this year.”
There should not be a timetable placed on protecting citizens. There is not a good reason for this bill to be overlooked this legislative session.
As Milton Wendland, attorney and GTA in the department of women, gender and sexuality studies asked, “How can you postpone civil rights?”
Kansas would join 26 other states that already have legislation protecting against sexual orientation discrimination. Even if you are not a part of the LGBT community, students should advocate equality for all people. Diversity should be celebrated, not put on hold.
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Comments
Editorial: Senate should not put hold on anti-discrimination bill
What would be the legal ramificaitons of this bill? There was talk of creating extra restrooms for transgendered people when we passed something similar in Student Senate. I'm not against it, I'm just curious.
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