Letter to the editor: House members showed bigotry with their votes

We can be ashamed of the majority of North Dakota House members who voted on Friday for institutionalized prejudice and discrimination in defeating S.B. 2278, which would have added sexual orientation to the classes of people protected by the state’s Human Rights Act from inequity in housing, employment and public accommodations.

But we can be proud and grateful that 34 representatives and 27 senators did rightly vote to support this human rights measure. Thank heaven they rejected the hateful arguments that reportedly were made in the Legislature claiming that “outlawing discrimination against gays and lesbian North Dakotans would protect behavior that can be changed and that God abhors.”

All too often, it’s a nasty, mean-spirited world “out there.” I am very thankful for the six lawmakers who sponsored 2278 and stood up against injustice and bigotry: Sens. Tom Fiebiger, JoNell Bakke and John Warner and Reps. Kathy Hawken, Nancy Johnson and Corey Mock.

Vicki Voldal Rosenau

Valley City, N.D.

Tags: opinion, letter, house, votes