Gay Anti-Bias Measure Amended to Win Support

SACRAMENTO —  In an attempt to win the support of Gov. Pete Wilson and other Republicans, a bill to ban discrimination against gays and lesbians was revised on Monday to remove a key feature: a prohibition against discrimination in housing.

Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles) said that the amendments are intended “to send a clear message . . . particularly to the governor that I’m bending over backward to be as reasonable as possible.”

However, there were no assurances from the governor’s office that the changes would make the measure acceptable to Wilson.

With the housing provision stripped out, the measure would simply ban job discrimination against gays and lesbians. That would make it nearly identical to legislation vetoed in 1984 by former Gov. George Deukmejian. State law already prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical handicap, medical condition, marital status or age.

Proponents argue that gays and lesbians should have the same protection in law as other groups and cite cases of longtime employees who lost their jobs because of their sexual orientation. Some opponents have said that sexual orientation is a matter of choice and should not be protected by an anti-discrimination law.

Earlier this year, Wilson said it was “likely” he would sign the Friedman bill.

But James Lee, Wilson’s deputy press secretary, on Monday cautioned that the governor “has not made up his mind” what to do if the proposal reaches his desk.

“He’s going to stay pretty much neutral on this . . . until we can see this in its final form,” Lee said.

Friedman’s bill has cleared the Assembly. But last week, it was only narrowly approved by a Senate committee amid signs that its bipartisan support might be slipping. The bill is pending on the Senate floor, where it is scheduled to be debated on Wednesday.

Besides removing the housing provision from the measure, Friedman said the amendments also state that the bill is not intended to establish quotas or affirmative action.

In an interview, Friedman said that even without the changes he expected the measure, known as the homosexual bill of rights, to attract well over the 21 votes required for passage in the 40-member Senate.

But he acknowledged that he “wants to increase the number of Republicans” supporting the bill in hope of influencing Wilson.

Senate Republican Leader Ken Maddy acknowledged that Friedman is seeking to woo GOP lawmakers by making the changes in the bill. The Fresno lawmaker said he would be more inclined to support it without the housing provision.

Friedman downplayed the significance of the amendments, maintaining that the main thrust of his bill has been discrimination in employment, not housing.

Friedman also said he had initially considered introducing the measure without the housing feature, citing case law that he believes already bans housing discrimination against gays and lesbians.

The fate of the bill is less important in some cities, such as Los Angeles, where local laws are already on the books prohibiting housing discrimination because of sexual orientation.