Out In The Mountains : News - Looking Back on Victories

       Washington – Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans scored big wins in 2005, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign. The report – Equality from State to State: GLBT Americans and State Legislation 2005 – details record-setting and historic state legislation affecting the GLBT community over the past year.
       "The road has potholes but equality is on the horizon," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This report proves that as the national conversation over equality continues, Americans come down on the side of fairness. When the fog of divisive politics recedes, the real stories emerge of hard-working GLBT Americans seeking equality wins."
       According to the report, more state anti-discrimination bills passed in 2005 than in any other year. Eleven bills were passed in state legislatures that established or strengthened statewide anti-discrimination protections for the GLBT community.
       In 2004, 13 states amended their constitutions to ban same sex couples from gaining access to the protections and responsibilities of marriage. In 2005, 15 states defeated similar attempts to write discrimination into their state constitutions. Two additional states were seen as likely to defeat marriage amendments before the year ended.
       California became the first state ever to pass a bill to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples this year. Unfortunately Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed this important legislation. Another historic milestone occurred in Connecticut, where the legislature instituted civil unions to provide state-level rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples. That bill was signed by the state's Republican Governor Jodi Rell.
      Maryland and Colorado became the ninth and tenth states to include gender identity and expression, and the 30th and 31st states to include sexual orientation in their hate crime laws. Again, both bills became law under the states' Republican governors.
      "The tremendous progress we’ve seen crosses party lines and proves fairness need not have partisan boundaries," declared Solmonese.
       "Until every state treats its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens with dignity, respect and equality under the law, our work as a community will not be done," added Solmonese.
      The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/StateLegReport.