Friday January 26, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 04 |
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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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Hutcherson seeks to repeal Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill |
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| Hutcherson seeks to repeal Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill | ||
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"It is a war and we are out to win it," said Rev. Ken Hutcherson. by Robert Raketty - SGN Staff Writer Rev. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Redmond-based Antioch Bible Church, filed an initiative to the people with the Secretary of State on Friday, January 19, seeking to repeal the Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill (House Bill 2661), which became law last year. The new law bans discrimination in employment, housing, financial transactions and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Hutcherson's proposed initiative seeks to "remove references to 'sexual orientation' or 'sexual preference' including heterosexuality, homosexuality, Bisexuality, gender expression, identity, appearance and behavior from the state's law against discrimination..." "Well, you know I was for not ever for allowing HB 2661 to be passed. So, I if I wasn't for it being passed, you know that I am not for it after it has been passed," Hutcherson told the Seattle Gay News on Wednesday. "I think it is another step...to a slippery slope that is not going to end until same-sex marriage is a reality and the church is shut down and not able to talk about it being a sin, even though that's what we think it is -- out of the Bible. "For awhile there, the homosexual community had some pretty good things going. We didn't deal with the different businesses and different things that wanted to give benefits to same-sex couples. But, when they pushed it into a fight - starting in Massachusetts - you guys have woken up the silent giant. We are going to take this fight serious. It is a war and we are out to win it; just like the homosexual community is." Hutcherson had submitted Initiative 375, an initiative to the Legislature, last November that had the same language. However, Hutcherson's effort was seen largely as political maneuvering for a possible filing at a later date. This time, he says, he's serious. A similar effort by Tim Eyman, Referendum 65, failed to receive the 112,440 valid signatures needed to qualify for last November's ballot. For Hutcherson's latest effort to appear on the ballot, he will need to collect 224,880 valid signatures by July 6, 2007. "I think that if we had just worked together last time, it would have been easier to get the 112,000 signatures rather than the 224,000," concluded Hutcherson. "But, you know, last time we had three months, now I got almost six. So, I think the possibility is there." Hutcherson is no stranger to the region's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Hutcherson's church had gathered signatures to support Eyman's referendum. He took credit for bullying Microsoft into temporarily withdrawing its support of pro-Gay legislation and organized the 2004 "Mayday for Marriage Rally" at Safeco Field. He is also an advocate of "ex-Gay" therapy and offers it at his church, a practice condemned by every mainstream medical and psychological organization . "People ask me all the time, 'Why are you so caught-up in this?' It is simply one reason, because as the Bible is concerned, this is the only sin that is asking for equal rights," said Hutcherson. Hutcherson's initiative hasn't been assigned a number, nor has it been made available online at the Secretary of State's website. A spokesperson for the Secretary of State said the initiative had not yet been scanned. Earlier this month, domestic partner legislation and a marriage equality measure were introduced in the Legislature. Hutcherson believes the legislation is likely to mobilize supporters of his initiative. "I don't think it hurts it," he said sarcastically about the bills affect on his initiative. Longtime Gay-rights activist Bill Dubay, said he disagrees with Hutcherson's claim. "Some will have you believe that its passage will benefit Mr. Hutcherson's efforts. Quite the contrary," he said. "If the Legislature doesn't pass the domestic partner bill or expand our rights in some manner, the message is more likely to be that Olympia doesn't care and our rights are up for grabs." Equal Rights Washington's Advocacy Director Josh Friedes told the SGN this week that his organization is not ignoring the initiative, but is more focused its own legislative agenda. "During the legislative session we need to stay focused like a laser beam on educating legislators and the public about the need to immediately protect LGBT families," he said. "At the same time, we need to be raising money to prepare ourselves for a possible ballot measure campaign. As public support grows for protecting LGBT families, any attempt to undo the anti-discrimination law will look increasingly mean spirited to the electorate. "Of course there are some aspects of confronting an initiative that are ruled by legal timelines and we will address those as appropriate regardless of whether or not the legislature is in session. "I do think that this particular initiative is so out of step with the values of Washington voters that it could really help expose just how anti-Gay the proponents of the measure are." Dubay believes that it is important for the region's LGBT community to support the legislation in Olympia, but also seek to undermine Hutcherson's efforts before he can gather the signatures needed to put the initiative before voters. "We need to organize and take action now, during the signature gathering stage, so we don't have to spend our summer building a campaign to preserve our hard-won rights," he said. "If methods we used in the past are outdated or unacceptable, we need to come up with a new strategy to fight him every step of the way. Our passivity can be our worst enemy. If, as a community, we decide to be passive and just have a wait and see attitude, the message will be that we don't care." |
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