Quiet campaign helps two pro-gay bills pass Ala. House
Posted on May 19, 2008
Filed Under Gay News Blog
In what some activists consider a bellwether moment for gay rights in the U.S., the Alabama House of Representative passed a pair of gay-inclusive bills in the same day earlier this month. Legislators voted 46-44 to amend the state’s hate crimes law to include sexual orientation, and unanimously passed a measure aimed at reducing bullying in schools.
“The trends we are seeing around the country are seen here in Alabama, too, it’s just not happening overnight,” Danny Upton, executive director of Equality Alabama, said of the May 6 votes. “Alabama is not immune to those sort of positive cultural changes.”
The Alabama Senate is scheduled to vote on the hate crimes legislation during the final day of the legislative session on May 19, but it remains unclear whether the school bullying bill will make it onto the Senate calendar before the session ends. Similar measures failed in the Georgia General Assembly this spring.
“This is really the first time in our history that we have had two gay-positive bills passed by the House of Representatives, and to have them passed on the same day is really spectacular,” said Upton, who hopes both bills get a shot at passing the Senate.Quiet campaign helps two pro-gay bills pass Ala. House
Sovo.com, GA
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