LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Legislative Update |
by Fay Jacobs |
A Good Day in the Delaware State Capital
It was an amazingly good day on March 25 for proponents of gay equality in Delaware. On that day, a punitive amendment (SB27) to the Delaware Constitution defining marriage as only between one man and one woman was rejected soundly in the Delaware Senate. On the other side of Legislative Hall on that very afternoon, the House voted to approve a bill (HB5) adding the words sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination bill. Now it is up to the Senate to approve the anti-discrimination bill as well. Along with a noisy crowd against gay rights showing up in Dover, a vocal contingent of GLBT advocates were there to make their voices heard and show their support for gay equality. Among them was CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Steve Elkins. I spoke with him upon his return. FJ: How did you feel leaving Dover knowing that HB 5 passed the House and SB 27 went down in flames in the Senate? SE: I was not particularly worried about the vote on SB 27the marriage amendmentbecause I was fairly certain there were not enough affirmative votes in the Senate to move that piece of legislation forward. We had the debate on the Senate floor, followed by the votea resounding defeatand that takes care of it for at least two years. Then, in a mass movement, supporters and opponents of equal rights legislation moved across the Legislative Hall lobby to join in the debate on HB 5legislation which would give protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and insurance. That bill (HB 5) was masterfully managed by House Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf. When the roll call vote was tallied, the largest number of votes ever were recorded in favor of equal rights for all. Thanks to Pete, and 25 other representatives, we walked out of the Chamber with a great victory. When I left Legislative Hall, there was a light mist falling and it was the most refreshing thing I'd felt in a long time. FJ: What was the most surprising testimony you heard regarding the anti-discrimination bill? SE: The testimony that surprised me most on HB 5 was when speakers tried to tie the anti-discrimination bill to the marriage amendment. As I have said all along, they are not connected. In this time of economic turmoil, my main concern is helping to make sure that everyone has equal access to employment, housing, and similar rights granted to everyone else in society. When you don't know if you will have a place to lay your head at night, or where you next paycheck will come from, it's hard to worry about walking down the aisle to say, "I do!" That right will come at at later date. FJ: I agreethe two issues are not connected. But our opponents want to scare everyone into thinking they are. What was the most painful testimony you heard? SE: Senator Venables, as the lead proponent of the marriage amendment, stated that he was concerned about what group would be the next in line to ask for marriage recognitionhe equated gay and lesbian couples with pedophiles and criminal incest. When he was called on the carpet for his remarks by the ACLU's Drew Fennell, Senator Venables attempted to back track, but he never seemed to gain his footing. Drew commented that, as a mother, she did not bring her children to the hearing just because she did not want to subject them to comments such as those made by Senator Venables. FJ: What did you think when you saw all those people rallying against gay marriage? SE: I arrived at Leg Hall about 15 minutes before the Senate and House were scheduled to reconvene and was confronted with a sea of protestors bused in from a variety of Delaware churches. They were all wearing T-shirts proclaiming "One man, One WomanThat's Marriage." My first reaction, I have to admit, was to tell one of the leaders of the group that while I recognized their right to protest, and I applauded them for taking a stand, they needed to keep their people off the flowers which were just beginning to lift their blooms out of the soil. I said that no matter how we felt about the issues coming up for debate, we surely could agree to let the blossoms become whatever God intended them to be. Need-less to say, that caught people by surprise long enough for me to slip through the crowds and make my way inside the building. FJ: Were you one of the persons who testified before the House or Senate? SE: I did not testify. For about 12 years, I have been part of a group of individuals working statewide to advance anti-discrimination legislation. We have become known as the "Equal Rights for All Coalition." As a group, we sought out individuals from a wide variety of organizations to provide testimony on the anti-discrimination legislation. After numerous consultations with Representative Schwartzkopf and other key supporters, we tried to identify persons to testify who represented unique perspectives from within our network of supporters. My concern has always been that we need to present testimony from the broadest possible group of people in order to insure that our message is received loud and clear. HB 5 is not a gay rights bill, it is a bill against discriminationa bill which would give rights to individuals against discrimination based on sexual orientation. FJ: I saw you on the 6 p.m. news, right after House Bill 5 passed. You looked great. What's it like having a microphone put in front of you immediately after the vote was taken? SE: Later that night, I laughingly told Murray that the cameraman from WBOC-TV looked relieved when he saw me surrounded by a sea of people wearing anti-gay marriage T-shirts. He turned to the reporter and said, "Hey, there's someone we know." I have always felt comfortable speaking to a reporter when I am talking about the importance of passing legislation which will guarantee equal rights for the GLBT community. It's so important that each of us takes a stand against issues of discrimination whenever we are confronted with them. We're way past the time when it's okay to laugh at a joke at the expense of anyoneespecially someone who happens to be gay. Too many young people are looking at us and at how we react for our inaction to be acceptable. FJ: What should Letters readers do regarding the upcoming vote for the anti-discrimination bill in the Senate? SE: Everyone needs to contact their Delaware State Senator and demand that HB 5 be allowed to come to the Senate floor for an up or down vote. They agreed to that on SB 27the marriage amendmentand HB 5 deserves the same consideration. The First State has always prided itself on being fair. Now it's more important than ever. Many of us have worked to assure passage of anti-discrimination legislation since 1997 and we have no intention of stopping until we are successful. FJ: Thanks, Steve. I know I speak for a lot of people who feel like they have an advocate in you and that you are working hard for equality for all. Next time maybe we should wear our own specially designed T-shirt...hmm...the possibilities are endless!To find the name of your Delaware State Senator or Representative, visit www.legis.delaware.gov |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 19, No. 03 April 03, 2009 |