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Bill would prohibit discrimination against transgendered
March 24, 2006
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. -- The legislature is considering
a bill that would prohibit discrimination against transgendered
people.
The bill, scheduled for a public hearing before
the Judiciary Committee on Friday afternoon, would add gender
identity or expression to the law that prohibits discrimination
based on race, gender, religion, age and other characteristics.
"We felt like our legislature was ready to make
the changes that are necessary to this law and thought we'd
ask them," said Amy Miller of the Connecticut Women's Education
and Legal Fund, one of the groups backing the bill.
Two years ago, the state's hate crime law was
expanded to protect transgendered people, who identify and
express themselves as the opposite sex. That law adds penalties
if someone commits a crime with the intent intimidating or
harassing someone based on their actual or perceived gender
identity.
Miller's group does not have an estimate of
how many people in Connecticut are transgendered, but she
said they know of several people who were fired as soon as
they start changing to another gender.
The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
ruled in 2000 that transsexuals were covered by Connecticut's
statutes prohibiting discrimination based on sex, but Miller
said the provision should also be written into law.
"It could be enough, but of course having an
administrative ruling, versus having something in law just
makes it a little more clear," Miller said. "It just kind
of strengthens it."
The Family Institute of Connecticut, a conservative
group, opposes the bill.
"If this bill passes, it would prevent school
systems from disciplining or declining to hire cross-dressing
teachers," said Peter Wolfgang, a spokesman for the group.
"People ought to have the right to be able to send their children
to public schools where they won't be exposed to this sort
of gender confusion."
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