ALBANY CITY COUNCIL PASSES GAY RIGHTS ORDINANCE 8-6

Monday December 7 the Albany Common Council narrowly passed an omnibus
human rights ordinance which included non-discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation. The bill was one of the most widely lobbied pieces of
legislation to be heard before the Common Council. The day before the vote
only seven votes in favour were assured. On monday Governor Cuomo and his
staff lobbied Aldermen throughout the day, right up to the vote at 8pm. Thus
a historic vote by the chair of the Council to break a possible tie -- which
has not happened in the Council's 300 year existence. (The vote would have 
been against the ordinance.) The human rights ordinance bars discrimination
in areas of public accomodations, housing and employment.

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        (ALBANY) -- The Albany Common Council last night narrowly approved a
gay rights bill. The measure was a victory in a two-year battle for
Albany Alderman Keith St. John... the city's first openly gay official.
But opponents say the fight's NOT over... and say they may back Common
Council candidates who'll fight to ammend the law in the next election.
Mayor Thomas Whalen is expected to give final approval to the measure...
which adds the words ``sexual orientation'' to a list of protected
categories including race, sex, creed, color, religion, national origin,
age, disability or marital status. Religious institutions are exempted
and the bill says it does NOT ``promote any particular attitude, course
of conduct or way of life.''