City Asked To Ensure Gay Rights Equality Wanted, Not Special Treatment

Dean Lynch says he wants equality - not special treatment.

On Monday, he and other members of Spokane’s gay community looked to the City Council for help reaching that goal.

“You have the opportunity to help promote an environment within the city of Spokane where people can strive toward reaching their potential regardless of characteristics,” said Lynch.

Lynch and six other residents asked the council to adopt a nine-point policy statement aimed at ending discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The statement asks that the city’s anti-discrimination policy be required of all businesses in Spokane. It also asks that “domestic partners” be included in employee benefit plans, and that the council urge the Legislature to legalize same-sex marriages.

“Here in Spokane, we need legislation or a city ordinance to (ensure) that no one will be denied employment or housing because of sexual orientation,” said Bill Nourse, a Spokane attorney who said several of his relatives are gay.

During emotional testimony Monday night, a gay teenager urged the council to adopt the equality statement that might further understanding of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-gender people in Spokane.

“I could not tell you the pain, the name-calling or the death threats I endure constantly,” he said.

The nine-point policy statement was drafted by the Stonewall News Northwest, a newspaper aimed at the area’s gay community.

The city’s Human Rights Commission already has adopted the policy statement. Mayor Jack Geraghty has asked commission members to study how it might be implemented before it comes to the council for consideration.

“It’s one thing to say equal rights. It’s another to ensure equal rights are followed,” he said.

Also Monday, the council heard from a citizens committee about possible changes to the city’s charter.

The committee, known as Community Partners, spent eight months studying four areas suggested by the council: charter provisions that govern parks and commissions; civil services and unions; the initiative process; and elected representation.

The committee recommended the charter be changed to:

Allow privatization of ongoing city services as long as restrictions are negotiated with Civil Service, city administrators and affected unions.

Currently, the charter allows contracting only for short-term projects.

Require five council members to be elected by districts, while the mayor and “vice-mayor” would be elected at-large.

Currently, all council members are elected citywide.

Require legal review of citizenproposed initiatives before signatures are gathered. Petition sponsors would have six months to gather signatures totaling at least 15 percent of the voter turnout in the last general election.

The current charter has no time limit, and doesn’t require legal review of the initiative’s wording.

Limit the term of board and commission members to two three-year terms. Currently, the length and and number of terms vary from board to board.

The committee looked at changing a section of the charter that contains archaic language. After further review, members decided so much of the charter contains outdated language that it needs not just a little rewriting but an overhaul.

Judith Gilmore, the committee’s co-chair, said the recommendations came after much debate among the 28 members. “None of these decisions came easily.”

The council plans to hold several public meetings on the proposed changes before deciding whether to send them to voters.

, DataTimes