WhiteHouse.gov blasts the closet door down

This is one click from the home page; just go to whitehouse.gov and click on Civil Rights.


THE AGENDA • CIVIL RIGHTS
CIVIL RIGHTS

"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen -- they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs.... We have more work to do."

-- Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007

President Barack Obama has spent much of his career fighting to strengthen civil rights as a civil rights attorney, community organizer, Illinois State Senator, U.S. Senator, and now as President. Whether promoting economic opportunity, working to improve our nation's education and health system, or protecting the right to vote, President Obama has been a powerful advocate for our civil rights.

* Combat Employment Discrimination: President Obama and Vice President Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
* Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
* End Deceptive Voting Practices: President Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
* End Racial Profiling: President Obama and Vice President Biden will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
* Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: President Obama and Vice President Biden will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama and Biden will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates.
* Eliminate Sentencing Disparities: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.
* Expand Use of Drug Courts: President Obama and Vice President Biden will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

* Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
* Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
* Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
* Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
* Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
* Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
* Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.
* Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

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Tell Obama your thoughts on LGBT issues

From the Change.gov web site for the Office of the President-elect:

An American Moment: Your Story

Start right now. Tell us your story in your own words about what this campaign and this election means to you. Share your hopes for an Obama Administration and a government for the people.

Tell President-elect Barack Obama your thoughts about gay marriage, an inclusive ENDA, DOMA, Don't Ask Don't Tell, gay adoption, gay immigration equality, the need for national leadership in fighting anti-gay ballot initiatives, and more at http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory .

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Nunn cast deciding vote against ENDA in 1996

Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) is being considered by the Obama campaign as the Democratic vice presidential running mate. Nunn was one of only five Democratic senators who voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act on 10 Sep 1996. The Act would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The bill failed by one vote, 49-50.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 104th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (s.2056 )
Vote Number: 281
Vote Date: September 10, 1996, 03:41 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Bill Defeated
Measure Number: S. 2056
Measure Title: A bill to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Vote Counts: YEAs 49
NAYs 50
Not Voting 1

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Abraham (R-MI), Nay Akaka (D-HI), Yea Ashcroft (R-MO), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Nay Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Bradley (D-NJ), Yea Breaux (D-LA), Yea Brown (R-CO), Nay Bryan (D-NV), Yea Bumpers (D-AR), Yea Burns (R-MT), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Campbell (R-CO), Nay Chafee (R-RI), Yea Coats (R-IN), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Cohen (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Coverdell (R-GA), Nay Craig (R-ID), Nay D'Amato (R-NY), Yea Daschle (D-SD), Yea DeWine (R-OH), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Exon (D-NE), Nay Faircloth (R-NC), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Ford (D-KY), Nay Frahm (R-KS), Nay Frist (R-TN), Nay Glenn (D-OH), Yea Gorton (R-WA), Nay Graham (D-FL), Yea Gramm (R-TX), Nay Grams (R-MN), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hatfield (R-OR), Yea Heflin (D-AL), Nay Helms (R-NC), Nay Hollings (D-SC), Yea

Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Jeffords (R-VT), Yea Johnston (D-LA), Yea Kassebaum (R-KS), Nay Kempthorne (R-ID), Nay Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerrey (D-NE), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lott (R-MS), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Nay Mack (R-FL), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Moseley-Braun (D-IL), Yea Moynihan (D-NY), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Murray (D-WA), Yea Nickles (R-OK), Nay Nunn (D-GA), Nay Pell (D-RI), Yea Pressler (R-SD), Nay Pryor (D-AR), Not Voting Reid (D-NV), Yea Robb (D-VA), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Roth (R-DE), Nay Santorum (R-PA), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Nay Simon (D-IL), Yea Simpson (R-WY), Yea Smith (R-NH), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Nay Thomas (R-WY), Nay Thompson (R-TN), Nay Thurmond (R-SC), Nay Warner (R-VA), Nay Wellstone (D-MN), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---49

Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Bradley (D-NJ) Breaux (D-LA) Bryan (D-NV) Bumpers (D-AR) Chafee (R-RI) Cohen (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) D'Amato (R-NY) Daschle (D-SD) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Glenn (D-OH) Graham (D-FL) Harkin (D-IA) Hatfield (R-OR) Hollings (D-SC) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (R-VT)

Johnston (D-LA) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerrey (D-NE) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Mikulski (D-MD) Moseley-Braun (D-IL) Moynihan (D-NY) Murray (D-WA) Pell (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Robb (D-VA) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sarbanes (D-MD) Simon (D-IL) Simpson (R-WY) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Wellstone (D-MN) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---50

Abraham (R-MI) Ashcroft (R-MO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brown (R-CO) Burns (R-MT) Byrd (D-WV) Campbell (R-CO) Coats (R-IN) Cochran (R-MS) Coverdell (R-GA) Craig (R-ID) DeWine (R-OH) Domenici (R-NM) Exon (D-NE) Faircloth (R-NC) Ford (D-KY) Frahm (R-KS) Frist (R-TN) Gorton (R-WA) Gramm (R-TX) Grams (R-MN) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT)

Heflin (D-AL) Helms (R-NC) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Kassebaum (R-KS) Kempthorne (R-ID) Kyl (R-AZ) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Mack (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Nickles (R-OK) Nunn (D-GA) Pressler (R-SD) Roth (R-DE) Santorum (R-PA) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-NH) Stevens (R-AK) Thomas (R-WY) Thompson (R-TN) Thurmond (R-SC) Warner (R-VA)

Not Voting - 1
Pryor (D-AR)

Grouped by Home State
Alabama:
Heflin (D-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay

Alaska:
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Nay

Arizona:
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay

Arkansas:
Bumpers (D-AR), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Not Voting

California:
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea

Colorado:
Brown (R-CO), Nay
Campbell (R-CO), Nay

Connecticut:
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea

Delaware:
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Roth (R-DE), Nay

Florida:
Graham (D-FL), Yea
Mack (R-FL), Nay

Georgia:
Coverdell (R-GA), Nay
Nunn (D-GA), Nay

Hawaii:
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea

Idaho:
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Kempthorne (R-ID), Nay

Illinois:
Moseley-Braun (D-IL), Yea
Simon (D-IL), Yea

Indiana:
Coats (R-IN), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay

Iowa:
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea

Kansas:
Frahm (R-KS), Nay
Kassebaum (R-KS), Nay

Kentucky:
Ford (D-KY), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay

Louisiana:
Breaux (D-LA), Yea
Johnston (D-LA), Yea

Maine:
Cohen (R-ME), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea

Maryland:
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea

Massachusetts:
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea

Michigan:
Abraham (R-MI), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Yea

Minnesota:
Grams (R-MN), Nay
Wellstone (D-MN), Yea

Mississippi:
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Lott (R-MS), Nay

Missouri:
Ashcroft (R-MO), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Nay

Montana:
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Nay

Nebraska:
Exon (D-NE), Nay
Kerrey (D-NE), Yea

Nevada:
Bryan (D-NV), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea

New Hampshire:
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Smith (R-NH), Nay

New Jersey:
Bradley (D-NJ), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea

New Mexico:
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Nay

New York:
D'Amato (R-NY), Yea
Moynihan (D-NY), Yea

North Carolina:
Faircloth (R-NC), Nay
Helms (R-NC), Nay

North Dakota:
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea

Ohio:
DeWine (R-OH), Nay
Glenn (D-OH), Yea

Oklahoma:
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Nickles (R-OK), Nay

Oregon:
Hatfield (R-OR), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Pennsylvania:
Santorum (R-PA), Nay
Specter (R-PA), Yea

Rhode Island:
Chafee (R-RI), Yea
Pell (D-RI), Yea

South Carolina:
Hollings (D-SC), Yea
Thurmond (R-SC), Nay

South Dakota:
Daschle (D-SD), Yea
Pressler (R-SD), Nay

Tennessee:
Frist (R-TN), Nay
Thompson (R-TN), Nay

Texas:
Gramm (R-TX), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay

Utah:
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Nay

Vermont:
Jeffords (R-VT), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea

Virginia:
Robb (D-VA), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Nay

Washington:
Gorton (R-WA), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea

West Virginia:
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea

Wisconsin:
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea

Wyoming:
Simpson (R-WY), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Nay

Roundup

♦ Right-wing demagoguess Phyllis Schlafly (right) is scheduled to receive an honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis. The university's Athenian community isn't too keen on the idea.

♦ Atlanta Pride is declining a sponsorship by the Human Rights Campaign because of HRC's support for the transgenderless ENDA bill.

♦ The drive to get a gay marriage ban amendment on the Illinois ballot this November failed to get enough signatures.

♦ Falls Church, Virginia, elected Lawrence Webb, a gay black man, to its city council on Tuesday.

♦ Übergay David Mixner is to receive GLAAD's Pioneer Award. The Bay Area Reporter has a profile of Bill Clinton's one-time multi-million-dollar-man.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski statement on civil unions, ENDA bills

Oregon Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski made the following statement at yesterday's signing ceremony for the state's civil unions and employment non-discrimination act (ENDA) bills:

Remarks by Governor Kulongoski

May 9, 2007

HB 2007 and SB 2 Signing Ceremony

Good Morning. Today is truly a historic day for Oregon.

I look out at you in the crowd – and at those standing with me today – and I see the faces of my friends, my colleagues and my fellow Oregonians who, like me, have been fighting for this day for more than thirty years.

This has been a long road traveled. It has taken patience. It has taken perseverance. It has taken our will to never give up on the dream of hope and opportunity for all Oregonians.

And today, we can deliver that dream by ending legal discrimination once and for all against gays and lesbians in Oregon – and by extending protections and legal recognition for same-sex couples and their families.

I started this legislative session declaring that this is the session of opportunity. That this is the session where we will succeed in affording all Oregonians the same rights and protections under the law. And that this is the session where we will formally recognize that diversity and equality of opportunity makes us all stronger – not weaker.

I don’t get to say this as much as I like to, but I couldn’t be more proud to stand before you today and say, "I was right!"

This is the session where we have succeeded in upholding the values and principles of Oregon – that we are all created equal and that Oregon is a land of equal opportunity for all of our citizens.

This is the session where we’re breaking down barriers to all Oregon families to live and love – play and succeed – work and contribute to one Oregon – to a better Oregon.

I only have the greatest respect for our legislators – of both parties – and their commitment to their constituents in their committee work and their work to make the best decisions on behalf of what’s best for Oregon. But if you look at the majority of the bills that pass each session, they are what I call transactional.

However, every decade or so there are a few bills that are actually transformational – and House Bill 2007 and Senate Bill 2 are two pieces of legislation that will literally transform our state from one of exclusion to one of complete inclusion.

And there are a lot of people here today who deserve credit for this transformation.

I’m looking out at many who took time out of their busy lives of work and family to spend hours on the phone, writing letters, educating the public and lobbying the legislature for these bills.

From my Task Force on Equality to individual Oregonians to organizations like Basic Rights Oregon to corporate partners like Nike – today is truly the result of a collective effort affirming that we really are one Oregon – with one common destiny.

But there are three special people here today that I want to recognize, thank and honor. They have been leaders in this movement and by my side in the struggle for basic fairness and equality for all Oregonians for more than thirty years – Gov. Barbara Roberts, Terry Bean and Don Powell.

First, though, I want to introduce two legislators who made this possible. While I like to think as Governor, I can make it happen on my own, the reality is that to be effective, I need strong partners in the legislature, to enact legislation like Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2007.

So I’d like to ask my good friend, colleague and champion of gay rights, Senator Kate Brown to take the stage, followed by Speaker Merkley, who kept his promise to bring these two bills to the floor.

Now I’d like to recognize Governor Roberts – who has been fighting for equal rights of gays and lesbians as long as – if not longer than – all of us.

She stood up for equality before it was politically correct, politically popular or politically viable.

She broke ground on the road that got us to where we are today – and even after her time in public service, she never stopped paving the path to progress, and ultimately, full equality.

She is a great friend, a great mentor, a great leader – and a great Oregonian.

She represents the best of Oregon – past, present, and today, future – and it is with great honor to share this moment with her.

And now, Governor Barbara Roberts.

The next two speakers are good friends and good Oregonians who have been with me throughout my public career – starting back in Junction City.

We may not always agree, but we’ve remained friends and we’ve remained united in this fight to establish equality and fairness for all Oregonians.

My good friends, Terry Bean and Don Powell.

The next person is someone who answered my call last year and chaired my Task Force on Equality – taking on an ambitious mission with an aggressive timeline.

I charged the Task Force with analyzing current law and identifying changes necessary to guarantee that all Oregonians receive equal protection from discrimination regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

I also asked the Task Force to review states with domestic partnerships and to identify the path for Oregon to establish legal recognition of same-sex couples and their families.

The Task Force had diverse representation from the business community, faith community, education community, health care community, legal community and local governments.

The members dedicated hours of their personal time each month toward this cause – and in a short time frame, they delivered a report and recommendations to me in time for legislation to be introduced this session.

As a result of their commitment to creating a more equal and fair Oregon, these two bills were introduced and with their help in educating the public and the legislature – these two bills were passed with bi-partisan support.

So thank you, Paul and to the other 10 members of the Task Force who are here today. Your role was invaluable to achieving this historic moment.

I also want to thank Attorney General Hardy Myers and the Department of Justice, and Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner and BOLI for supporting the work of the task force and lending staff assistance to ensure the Task Force was able to carry out its mission.

With that, I’d like to turn the podium over to Paul Kelly, attorney and business leader, who served as the Chair of my Task Force on Equality.

Before we move on to the bill signing, there is one more person I’d like to recognize and give an opportunity to say a few words. He is new to Oregon – I believe he’s moved here within the last few weeks…But he is not new to the GLBT civil rights movement.

From Idaho, he was the first openly gay attorney in the state and has been a passionate leader and advocate for the GLBT community throughout the west for the last twenty years.

He is a proven leader and a welcome addition to Oregon, whom I look forward to working with in the coming years.

With that, I’d like to introduce John Hummel, Basic Rights Oregon’s new Executive Director.

Now let’s sign these bills into law!!!

Clinton's LGBT-free statement on Iowa ENDA bill

In response to the passage of the Iowa non-discrimination bill that added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's existing ENDA (see previous post), the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton sent out this press release. Nowhere in the release do the terms "sexual orientation" , "gender identity", "gay", "lesbian", "bisexual", or "transgender" appear:

4/26/2007

Statement from Senator Clinton on Iowa Discrimination Bill

"I applaud the Iowa State Legislature for their efforts to end discrimination and make the state more welcoming. I've supported similar legislation in the US Senate because too many Americans suffer as a result of bigotry, and I believe this legislation will help reinforce our fundamental belief in equality and justice for all. As President, I will work with Congress to echo the clear message of fairness Iowa's leaders sent today."

Iowa legislature adds sexual orientation, gender identity to ENDA

The Iowa legislature has passed an employment non-discrimination act (ENDA) and sent the bill to Democratic Governor Chet Culver. The bill adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's existing ENDA. It is designed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from employment discrimination.

In the state House, 50 of 54 Democrats voted "yes" (93%). Nine of 46 Republicans voted "yes" (20%).

In the state Senate, 29 of 30 Democrats voted "yes" (97%). Five of 20 Republicans voted "yes" (25%).

The text of Senate File 427 is here. The House and Senate roll calls can be found by clicking on Complete Bill History.