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Nevada Bans Job Discrimination

Governor Kenny Guinn Signs Bill

Gay Assemblyman Was Sponsor

Compiled By GayToday

Gov. Guinn and wife Dema

Carson City, Nevada�Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn (Republican) signed a bill May 29 which will make job discrimination against gay men and lesbians illegal in his state when it goes into effect on October 1.

Nevada, the District of Columbia and ten other states now boast passage of employment discrimination protections.

"Signing this bill (AB311) was a matter of fairness and doing what's right for the people of Nevada, Guinn told reporters, "Discrimination based on race, gender, religion or sexual orientation is wrong and I hope this law sends that message loud and clear."

Assemblyman David Parks (Democrat-Las Vegas) the only openly gay member of Nevada's state Legislature sponsored the successful legislation. Parks indicated he was "immensely pleased'' by the Governor's decision to sign on and said that "this will be seen across the nation as a great day for Nevada."

David Parks

The bill passed the state Assembly earlier in the legislative session, but passed the Senate with an amendment and had to be amended in the Assembly again before it reached Guinn's desk.

Guinn had been aware that The Nevada Republican Party had become the first state GOP to hire an openly gay person as its Executive Director, the highest paid staff position of a state Republican Party.

Dan Burdish, founder of Log Cabin Las Vegas, served in this position from 1996-1999, after serving for eight years on the Clark County GOP Central Committee, four years on the Nevada GOP Central Committee and on the 1992 Nevada State GOP Platform Committee.

Religious fundamentalists had lobbied long and hard against the anti-discrimination bill, claiming it would signal Nevada's approval of "immoral" conduct. Tax exempt organizations, however, such as are churches and the Boy Scouts, remain exempt from compliance and may discriminate against gay employees if it suits their "moral" purposes.

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Gary Peck, executive director of he Nevada's American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said he was "ecstatic" about the passage of the bill. "We made it our top legislative priority over a year ago, and we are heartened that the Assembly and the Senate did the right thing," he said.

According to Peck the ACLU has received only a few gay/lesbian job discrimination complaints in the last several months.

"Even one is too many," Peck told reporters.

"No one should be judged in the workplace on anything but their job performance," he said.

Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans wrote to Nevada's Governor, saying: "The Nevada Republican Party has been a beacon of inclusive conservative leadership in the nation for years�and your continued leadership on this and other important issues only strengthens our party's message and broadens its scope to every community."

"Enacting Nevada ENDA into law will further cement for the voters of Nevada the GOP commitment to be a force for positive change in the lives of every citizen," Tafel said.