Debate on anti-bias protection for gay employees gets emotional, personal for NE senators

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140403/NEWS/140409488/1685#debate-on-anti-bias-protection-for-gay-employees-gets-emotional-personal-for-senators

By Martha Stoddard / World-Herald Bureau

LINCOLN — Debate about a bill to ban job discrimination against gays and lesbians got personal and emotional for Nebraska lawmakers Thursday.

State Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton told colleagues that the issue hits close to home because she has a gay brother.

“He's a good employee who works hard, pays his taxes and does not bring his personal life into work any more than the rest of us,” she said.

But, Dubas said, her brother no longer lives in Nebraska and doesn't feel welcome in the state where he grew up.

FULL story at link.

[theHandpuppet]

1. Let's hear it for religious freedum!!

(another excerpt)

...LB 485 parallels a two-year-old Omaha ordinance banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would add to existing state laws barring bias based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status or national origin.

The bill would apply to private employers with 15 or more workers, as well as to public entities and state contractors. Religious organizations, schools and colleges would be exempted from the law.

However, the Nebraska Catholic Conference and Nebraska Family Alliance still oppose the measure. Jim Cunningham of the Catholic Conference said the exemptions would not help employers who are not part of religious organizations or schools but who have religious objections to homosexuality....