Subject: Anti-Civil Rights Initiatives Filed
From: "David B. O'Donnell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 1994 09:06:16 -0500

Originally Posted By Tom Freeman <[email-masked]>
     
>From Works in Progress Community Newspaper
Thurston County Rainbow Coalition
PO Box 295
Olympia, WA  98507-0295
     
Anti-Civil Rights Initiatives Filed
     
by Anna Schlecht
     
        Two competing factions of the radical right filed their
initiatives on Monday, January 12th as separate bids to legalize
discrimination against bisexuals, gays, lesbians and trans people.  Once
these two initiatives are approved, their signature gathering campaigns
will hit the streets of communities all accross the state.
        As anticipated, the Citizens Alliance of Washington (CAW), Lon
Mabon's Washington franchise, filed their initiative titled "Minority
Status and Child Protection Act."  The CAW delieved on its promise to be
the "82nd Airborne" by attacking child custody, same-sex marriages,
government funding for any form of "expression or approval for
homosexuality," and any potential or existing statutory protections for
civil rights pertaining to housing or employment.  Their initiative also
makes special mention of only recognizing transgender or transsexual
people by their bith gender.
        A new organization called "the Washington Committee for Equal
Rights not Special Rights" filed their initiative hours before the CAW.
They are speculated to be an umbrella committee of other radical right
groups, including Traditional Values Coalition, which was formed by Robert
Larimer upon his ouster from CAW, the Youth Action Coalition, which the
Seattle Gay News has likened to a "Christian Act Up!", the Washington
Public Affairs Council, the Washington Association of Families, and
others.  On a slightly more compact scale with their initiatives zeroed in
on barring any state, county, city or town from enacting any policies that
extend civil protections, and prohibiting any school from "presenting,
promoting, or approving homosexuality..."  As a testament to their
"heightened awareness" of diversity, their initiative makes it a point to
list their targets specifically as "homosexual, bisexual, transsexual,
transvesite..."  While being characterized as a somewhat more "moderate"
approach, the intent is still largely the same.
        WCF organized a powerful response to these attacks by holding
press conferences in nine locations across the state.  Here in Olympia, we
gathered with a diverse group of local civil rights leaders, the Governor
and Lt. Governor of Washington and other elected officials to denounce the
initiatives.
        Despite the ominous prospect of fighting two initiatives at once,
it was heartening to see the incredible range of support throughoutr our
state.  Building upon that support will ensure our victory.  It's going to
take everything we have and more to sweep the radical right's campaign of
intolerance into the dumpster of history.  Thurston County Washington
Citizens for Fairness (Hands Off Washington) Campaign urges you to get
involved in this civil rights battle.  Please call (206) 786-6608 or write
     
Thurston County Washington Citizens for Fairness
Hands Off Washington
PO Box 5619
Lacey, WA  98503
     
-30-
     
Submitted by:
     
Tom Freeman
KAOS Olympia Public Radio
The Evergreen State College
CAB 301
Olympia, WA  98505
(206) 866-6000 ext. 6894
     
<[email-masked]>