From: Ellen McCormick Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 17:46:46 Subject: CA: AB 257 OP-ED October 2, 1997 Hello all, and Welcome to the new subscribers on this list! We're still waiting for the Governor to take action on AB 257 - he has until Oct. 13th. In the meantime, to counter any and all press attacks that the right may have up their sleeve(s), we're asking that individuals throughout the state write opinions/letters to submit to their local papers for printing. Its clear that regardless of what happens with AB 257, the radical right will be sending letters and essays to their local papers. Its important that we do the same. Please look over the sample op-ed piece that I've attached. Do not send or reproduce this sample, it is written by me for submission to the Sacramento Bee. Please write about your own experience or the experience of someone close to you and send it with a cover letter to the Editor of your paper's editorial pages. If you need further information on this or any other bill, please call or write back to this message. Many thanks! Ellen McCormick Legislative Advocate LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby OP-ED Assembly Bill 257 I'm writing this on behalf of a friend I'll call Sara. She didn't want to write this herself because she already has enough trouble at work. Sara works in the warehouse of a large shipping corporation. She's one of a few women working in that part of the building. In some ways, the men at work treat her as "one of the guys." And in some ways that makes sense to them because Sara is a lesbian. Sara is quiet and a little shy. Mostly, she kept to herself. But two months ago, she responded to one of the guys' "little jokes" about her sexual orientation. She was greeted with taunts, a barrage of name-calling and threats of violence from her co-workers. The trauma of the incident kept her off work for a week. Now, afraid of a repeat performance, she keeps to herself and thinks about quitting. But she's a single mother with a three-year old daughter, and being out of work is not a possibility. She complained to her supervisor, but he just said, "boys will be boys. And anyway, if you're gay, you should get used to this type of thing. You can put up with it, or move on." Sara didn't know it, but her supervisor was wrong. It's against the law in California to discriminate based on a person's sexual orientation. But unlike every other prohibited type of discrimination - race, religion, age, gender, or disability - bias against gays is prohibited under the state's Labor Code, and very few employers, or employees, know that. Every other type of discrimination is covered under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. And that act requires that a notice be put up in every workplace listing which discriminatory practices are prohibited by law. But because the Fair Employment and Housing Act doesn't cover discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, those notices usually placed near the water cooler or in the lunch room don't list "sexual orientation." Sara knows the other forms of discrimination are illegal. She saw the notice. And if the acts against her had been based on race or religion, she could still complain to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. After all, there are still 10 months left on that complaint period. But now she has no recourse, and telling her about the law in the Labor Code is no help. You see, the Labor Code only gives her thirty days to complain, and that passed a month ago. "I think about pushing it," Sara told me. "I think about going over my supervisor's head and talking to his boss. But then I remember I just can't risk losing my job. I can't risk not being able to take care of my daughter - just to make them stop this every day harassment. It's too much to lose." Because of cases like Sara's, the Legislature this year passed a measure, AB 257 by Assembly Majority Leader Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles. It's a simple bill. It will add "sexual orientation" to the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the place where every other form of discrimination is listed and prohibited. The bill is on Governor Wilson's desk, awaiting his signature. Sara believes that change will work. She told me, "That we experience little or no race or gender discrimination at work is actually a testament to the effectiveness of the posting requirements. Had sexual orientation been on that list, things might have been different." Sara's case is common. But if Governor Wilson signs AB 257, it could become the exception instead of the rule. Ellen McCormick Legislative Advocate LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message has been brought to you by LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby. LIFE has been lobbying on behalf of California's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-affected communities since 1986. LIFE is the oldest and largest institution representing these communities in California's State Capitol and is proud to celebrate over a decade of service. If you would like further information about current LGBT legislation, LIFE activities, events or membership please contact our office or go to our web site at: LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby 926 J Street, Suite 522 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 444-0424 fax (916) 444-3059