eFrom: rshaffer@boi.hp.com (Robert Shaffer)
Subject: Idaho: City Employees in Troy Protected
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 17:24:04 GMT

The following article appeared in Boise's "Idaho Statesman"
newspaper on Jan. 19, 1994 and is reproduced without
permission:

============

SIDEBAR

"I don't know if we have any gay or lesbian employees and it
doesn't matter." -- Marie Vogel, Mayor of Troy

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CITY EMPLOYEES IN TROY PROTECTED
FROM SEX-ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION

The Associated Press

The rural Latah County town of Troy has become the
first municipality in Idaho to grant protection for 
its employees from discrimination based on sexual
orientation.

The city of 800 amid pea and lentil fields would seem     
the least likely place for such a step.

But it is also a bedroom community for employees and
students from the University of Idaho [at Moscow]
and Washington State University [at Pullman].

"The Troy Council was simploy reviewing our personnel
policy and felt sexual orientation should be included."

"As long as a person does their job, we should not
discriminate against them," Mayor Marie Vogel told
Diversity, a monthly magazine for gays, lesbians and
bisexuals in Idaho.

The council voted last month.

"Right now we feel that what we've done is not
unconstitutional."

Deni Hoehne with the Association of Idaho Cities,
which has a membership of 188 municipalities, said
she could find no record of another city in Idaho
with a similar policy.

The Idaho Citizens Alliance is collecting signatures
to place an anti-gay initiative before the state's
voters in November.

It would preclude state or local laws extending anti-
discrimination protection to homosexuals; bans same-
sex marriages which the state does not recognize; and
prohibts any government agency or employee from
portraying homosexuality as acceptable.

"We wanted our personnel to know we didn't agree with
the ICA stand and we were willing to put it in our
policy." Vogel said.  The city employees three part-time
and three full-time employees.

"I don't know if we have any gay or lesbian employees 
and it doesn't matter," Vogel said.

"We have a city that's very humanistic," she said.  
"We have council members who are opposed to drinking,
but they respect the rights of our citizens when 
voting on issues related to alcohol sales.  This is
a similar situation."

The city of Boise [which has no such policy] has more
than 1,000 employees.

"We know there are gays and lesbians working for the city,
statistics support that, and we value those employees
absolutely," Boise Personnel Director Bonnie Brazier told
Diversity.

She said the issue of gay discrimination has come up
once or twice, but no action was taken.

"Our records show we have not had to deal with any discrimination
issues based on sexual orientation," Brazier said.

[University of Idaho at Moscow law proffessor] Elizabeth Brandt
said that could be a "shallow observation."

"If you were gay or lesbian, would you risk your job to file
a formal complaint?"  Brandt said.