Support for State's Anti-discrimination Law As Amended
WHEREAS Democrats have been steadfast for many years in our support of equal rights for LGBT individuals; and
WHEREAS the Legislature, after 29 years, has finally updated our state’s non-discrimination law to include protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, insurance and commercial transactions, and the anti-discrimination law originally adopted in 1949 already prohibited discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability; and
WHEREAS a referendum and an initiative have been filed by Tim Eyman to repeal those parts of the law that provide protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; and
WHEREAS if the referendum or initiative were to pass, it will be legal to fire someone, deny him or her housing or refuse an application for a mortgage simply because of the individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Democrats (WCDCC) urge members and voters to refuse to sign the initiative and referendum intended to take away the rights of LGBT individuals all across the state; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that adoption of this resolution would also allow the campaign against these ballot measures to list the Whatcom County Democrats as opposing this signature gathering effort, because civil rights should not be a matter of majority rule; civil rights should be protected by federal and state constitutions, not public opinion.(Date Passed 04/08/2006 by Whatcom County Democrats)
