Iowa Legislators Support Bill Protecting Gay Rights
Measure Bars Bias Based on Sexual Orientation
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Legislation to add sexual orientation to Iowa's civil-rights laws passed the House and the Senate on a bipartisan vote Wednesday, breaking a long-running stalemate over the issue.
The proposal now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign the bill."It is a historic vote," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Des Moines Democrat. "I also think it was a mainstream vote. This was not some sort of liberal social agenda. This is just saying that under housing and employment, people should not be discriminated based upon their real or perceived sexual orientation."
Senate File 427 would make it illegal to discriminate in employment, public accommodation, credit, housing and education based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.The House passed the measure in a 59-37 vote. Nine Republicans voted in favor of the plan, while three Democrats voted against it.
The Senate, late Wednesday night, voted to approve the changes made by the House on a 34-16 vote. Five senators voted for the bill, while one Democrat voted against.Critics have said the proposal is unnecessary and would spawn lawsuits against businesses. They also say they fear it could be followed by efforts to repeal the state law banning gay marriage.
Chuck Hurley, president of the Iowa Family Policy Center, called the proposal "legislative malpractice." Under the proposal, an elementary teacher, "Mr. Jones," could dress like "Mrs. Jones" and "shock the conscious of students" without repercussions, he said.
"We don't think sexually immoral behavior should be made into a protected class," Hurley said. "That's not the purpose of the civil rights code."
But people such as Carolyn Cutrona say the plan simply makes sense. Cutrona isn't gay, but she has a daughter who is a lesbian. The Ames mother said she has faced the heartbreak of seeing a child be vulnerable to discrimination that is currently legal under Iowa law.
Gina Russell, 25, was in eighth grade when she told her mother she was gay.Cutrona immediately accepted her daughter's sexuality but worried about the discrimination her daughter faced.
"I was always afraid for her safety, but I knew she had to be herself and all I could do is try to make Iowa a safer place for her," said Cutrona, who has championed equal rights for gays and lesbians for about 10 years. Iowa Senate approved the proposal last month, but the issue stalled in the House as Democrats found they did not have enough votes to pass it.
A compromise plan strikes "appearance, expression, or behavior" from protection related to gender identity. House Democratic leaders accepted the compromise and made the decision to bring up the bill Wednesday not knowing whether it would pass.
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