Colorado Legislature Approves Non-Discrimination Bill, Strikes Down Marriage Ban

by HRC Staff •

'There's nothing partisan about making sure a good employee can keep their job,' said HRC's Joe Solmonese. 'We urge Governor Owens to ensure this important protection becomes law.'

WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign lauded the Colorado Legislature for passing a measure that would ban discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. A House committee also struck down a proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution that would deny marriage, along with other legal arrangements, to same-sex couples.

&quotThere should be nothing partisan about making sure good employees can keep their jobs,&quot said HRC President Joe Solmonese. &quotWe urge Governor Owens to ensure this important protection becomes law, making certain that Coloradoans' employment opportunities are based on the quality of their work and nothing more.&quot

Solmonese added, &quotWe laud the House Judiciary Committee for defeating a measure that would put discrimination in the Colorado Constitution. This amendment was politics at its worst and put real Coloradoans and their families in danger.&quot

&quotPassage of S.B. 28 is a historic landmark for the cause of GLBT equality in Colorado,&quot said Pat Steadman, a lobbyist for the GLBT state group Equal Rights Colorado. &quotThis is precisely the bill that the authors of 'Amendment 2' tried to prevent our Legislature from passing. Today's vote demonstrates just how far we've come in Colorado toward an acknowledgement of the equal dignity of each and every citizen of our great state.&quot

Colorado S.B. 05-28 would prohibit employment discrimination against GLBT individuals. The measure was sponsored, by openly lesbian state Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, and passed the Senate on April 25, 2005, by a partisan 18-17 vote. The measure passed the House on May 4, 2005, by a 36-29 vote. Today, the Senate concurred with House changes.

Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and six also prohibit gender identity-based discrimination, including Colorado neighbor New Mexico.



WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign lauded the Colorado Legislature for passing a measure that would ban discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. A House committee also struck down a proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution that would deny marriage, along with other legal arrangements, to same-sex couples.

"There should be nothing partisan about making sure good employees can keep their jobs," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "We urge Governor Owens to ensure this important protection becomes law, making certain that Coloradoans' employment opportunities are based on the quality of their work and nothing more."

Solmonese added, "We laud the House Judiciary Committee for defeating a measure that would put discrimination in the Colorado Constitution. This amendment was politics at its worst and put real Coloradoans and their families in danger."

"Passage of S.B. 28 is a historic landmark for the cause of GLBT equality in Colorado," said Pat Steadman, a lobbyist for the GLBT state group Equal Rights Colorado. "This is precisely the bill that the authors of 'Amendment 2' tried to prevent our Legislature from passing. Today's vote demonstrates just how far we've come in Colorado toward an acknowledgement of the equal dignity of each and every citizen of our great state."

Colorado S.B. 05-28 would prohibit employment discrimination against GLBT individuals. The measure was sponsored, by openly lesbian state Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, and passed the Senate on April 25, 2005, by a partisan 18-17 vote. The measure passed the House on May 4, 2005, by a 36-29 vote. Today, the Senate concurred with House changes.

Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and six also prohibit gender identity-based discrimination, including Colorado neighbor New Mexico.

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