Public comments favor gay rights bill in Washington State

[davidinalameda]

http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=15508&sd=03/23/05

A gay civil rights bill in Washington State is one or two votes shy of a majority in the state senate, Sen. Darlene Fairley said after a hearing on the measure. "I am very optimistic," said Fairley, a Democrat from Lake Forest Park. "It's the right thing to do."

The house has already approved the bill, and Gov. Christine Gregoire has said she will sign it into law if the legislature passes it. Public opinion at Fairley's committee hearing Tuesday ran 6-1 in favor of the bill, though some meeting attendees warned of deep-seated opposition across the state.

The bill, which would ban discrimination against gays and lesbians in jobs, housing, and insurance, has been introduced--and rejected--annually for nearly 30 years in the legislature.