2004 Not As Bad As Thought Gay Group Says

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/05/051805yrReview.htm

A new report weighing the effects of anti-gay measures nationwide against the positive ones has concluded that 2004 wasn't that bad after all.

The report was prepared by the Human Rights Campaign. It shows that on a variety of fronts - from family rights to workplace protections - there has been consistent progress made in obtaining LGBT legal rights, in spite of reports characterizing last November’s election as a ‘backlash.’

“Even with the setbacks at the end of last year, we’ve seen more progress in the past 12 months than we’ve seen in any other year since 1992,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese .

[big peaches]

1. Fantastic

Finally, a little good news. Thanks for the perspective.

[TaleWgnDg]

2. To read more on this issue, go to . . .

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To read more on this issue, go to . . .
http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=26909&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm

The Human Rights Campaign released a new report today showing that on a variety of fronts — from family rights to workplace protections — there has been consistent progress made in obtaining legal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, in spite of reports characterizing last November’s election as a ‘backlash.’ The report comes as residents of Massachusetts mark the first anniversary of the state granting marriage rights to same-sex couples in the state.

“Even with the setbacks at the end of last year, we’ve seen more progress in the past 12 months than we’ve seen in any other year since 1992,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “In spite of the best political maneuverings of those on the ultra-right, there is undeniable progress across the spectrum from family rights to workplace protections to rising polling — hearts, minds and laws are slowly changing for the best.”

The (Human Rights Campaign) report showed, among other things, that:

- Fourteen state legislatures defeated anti-gay constitutional amendments in 2004 (compared to the 13 states where these measures passed) and six state legislatures have defeated them already in 2005.
- Two states, Connecticut and Maryland, legislatively approved civil unions and domestic partner benefits, respectively.
- Two other states are considering legislation granting rights to same-sex couples this year so far — California is debating a marriage bill, and Oregon a civil unions measure.
- Four state legislatures have passed or strengthened workplace protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois and Maine.

In addition, polling on election day last November showed that a high-water mark of 60 percent of the country supports either marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples. Similar polling Massachusetts and New Jersey has shown that a majority of residents in those states favor marriage equality.

“Clearly, we still have a long way to go,” said Solmonese. “But the American people over time always value fairness over discrimination, and we continue to see that dynamic play out all across the country.”

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