[Vision2020] Human rights, half a century later

[Tom Hansen]

Seeya later, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Spokane, Washington

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown

On Jan 15, 2012, at 5:16 AM, Moscow Cares <moscowcares at moscow.com> wrote:

> Courtesy of the weekend edition (January 14-15, 2012) of the Moscow-Pullman DailyNews with special thanks to Kelli Hadley and Joann Muneta.
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Human rights, half a century later
> By Kelli Hadley Daily News staff writer
> Almost 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech, northern Idaho - a region known for its history of white supremacist activities - human rights groups have to work particularly hard to showcase the area's support for civil rights of all kinds.
> "We're 85 miles from Couer d'Alene, but our reputation still isn't great in saying 'north Idaho,' " said Joann Muneta, chair of the Latah County Human Rights Task Force. "It's like: What's Idaho about? Potatoes and racism. I think, and hope, we've come a long way in erasing that, although there's still a lot of kooks out there."
> Muneta said the task force formed in 1988 in response to neo-Nazi movements north of Moscow. The idea, she said, was to educate people on the importance of human rights and to respond to threats that pop up on the Palouse every once in awhile.
> "Unfortunately, I think we never reach our end goals of total respect for all people," Muneta said. "I think on the whole our community is very welcoming and respectful, but we hear about problems that Native Americans, Latinos and even African Americans have in the community."
> One area of the task force's focus is on gay rights, especially in Idaho legislation.
> "That's the only group it's still legal to discriminate against in the state," Muneta said. "There's no legislation in Idaho saying that you can't fire someone just because they're gay or transgender."
> To change that, a statewide effort called "Add the Words" has supporters sending sticky notes to lawmakers throughout Idaho and posting them on walls and doors of the Statehouse in Boise during the legislative session. Jim Huggins, GetEQUAL Idaho state lead, said this is the sixth year a bill adding the words "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to Idaho's human rights law has been presented, but it has never made it to the floor during the legislative session.
> In Moscow, the campaign will be at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 28 at the 1912 Center. Organized by Huggins, the event will have sample letters for people to write to representatives around the state and speakers on the topic. They'll also be taking video to create YouTube presentations. Afterward, Huggins said, there will be individual rallies around town to collect sticky notes and signatures for a petition.
> "There are several states where it's still legal to discriminate, but many states and cities have passed human rights acts to prevent it," Huggins said. "On the federal level, the employee discrimination act has been upheld several times, and we hope to get that passed so it covers all states."
> Ken Faunce, chairperson of the Moscow Human Rights Commission, said Moscow has an anti-discrimination policy that includes fairness for all sexual orientations, but the commission is helping in the effort to add the words "gender identity" to the policy as well.
> "We attempted years ago to get gender identity on there and they voted it down. They felt it wasn't needed," Faunce said. "There are new members on the City Council now, so we're hoping ... maybe they'll feel differently."
> In the statewide campaign to add the words, Faunce said it's critical to talk to local representatives and make the districts' wants known.
> "Our local representatives support it, but we have to keep pushing and making sure they know it's important to a lot of people around here," Faunce said.
> Huggins said he can think of a few specific incidences in which people were turned away from jobs for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
> "A lot of times it's 'I'm not able to get the job in the first place,' " Huggins said. "There's also just a fear of not being able to be yourself. For gender identity, it is sometimes hard for people to get a job if they're trying to make that transition."
> Adding the words into the Idaho anti-discrimination law will better benefit every area of the state, Huggins said. On the Palouse, the legislation has received a "high level of support," he said.
> "It will provide an environment where people will feel safe to move here," Huggins said. "It will increase the amount of qualified individuals to work for companies, and they'll feel secure knowing their choices will not be an issue for discrimination."
> Across the border
> On the other side of the state line, Washington's legislators don't seem far from legalizing gay marriage.
> On Friday, The Associated Press reported that a measure to legalize same sex marriages in the state was only two votes away from having enough support to pass.
> Washington's current domestic partnership laws grant almost all state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples.
> "That's great, that's much more progressive than Idaho, but then we're one of the most conservative states in the country," Huggins said.
> Idaho does not extend any benefits or specific rights to domestic partnerships.
> The Washington 9th District legislators - Rep. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman, Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, and Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville - have all said they would vote against the bill.
> "This bill is of great concern to many, and we're hearing from folks on both sides of the issue," Fagan said. "I will vote against the bill, but if the same-sex marriage bill is passed by the Legislature and governor, we must insist that it go to a vote of the people."
> Growth on the Palouse
> The fact the Palouse has grown in its human rights efforts is a notable feat, Muneta said.
> "When we first started out, we were like the only group on it," she said. "It's a movement that's grown in the last decade or so. That makes a big difference in providing the kind of atmosphere where minorities feel welcome."
> One example is the recently formed Northwest Coalition for Human Rights, which was done in response to an annual UI conference called "Finding the Center" and part of the UI Office of Human Rights, Access, and Inclusion. Kristin Carlson, coordinator for NWCHR, said the group will likely meet biannually, after having the first meeting in November, which was well attended.
> "Our attendance was really promising, we had people from Spokane, some people from Lewiston, Sandpoint, Couer d'Alene," Carlson said. "It demonstrated that people were interested in being better connected so we can share information and resources."
> Carlson said the group plans to discuss everything from violence, to health care, to environmental concerns.
> "We're trying to be open to a lot of different groups," Carlson said. "The idea is that we're more likely to keep up with work like this if we're accountable, and the desire to do that was definitely expressed."
> Pullman used to have its own human rights commission, though City Supervisor John Sherman said it disbanded for lack of issues to work toward. At the first NWCHR meeting, Whitman County Commissioner Pat O'Neill and Pullman City Councilor Nathan Weller both expressed interest in getting it started again.
> "I think what's important is that these groups don't just fall out when there isn't anything going on," Weller said. "It's kind of a shame that it ebbs and flows when there's only problems. It should really be a part of our usual activities at the city and in the community."
> For information on the "Add the Words" campaign, go to:
> http://www.addthewords.org
> Kelli Hadley can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by email to khadley at dnews.com.
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Rally in support of Senate Bill 1033 (January 29, 2011)
> http://www.MoscowCares.com/MoscowHumanRights/SB1033_SupportRally_012911.htm
>  
> Seeya later, Moscow.
> 
> Tom Hansen
> Spokane, Washington
> 
> "If not us, who?
> If not now, when?"
> 
> - Unknown
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