(The February 15, 2016 Newsletter content includes these topics: Sex-Neutral Public Accommodations, Hemp/Marijuana Connection, In-State Cultivation of Marijuana,Side-stepping the Electoral College with NPV, Restrooms: Privacy Rights of Students)
H.B. 849 Unisex in Public Accommodations
Separate Restrooms for Males and Females would be Illegal in Public Facilities
H.B. 849, “The Georgia Civil Rights in Public Accommodations Act,” was introduced January 27th by Representative Rich Golick, and assigned to his House Judiciary Non Civil Committee. It requires nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in any place of public accommodations. H.B. 849 was introduced, specifically, as a means to add sexual orientation as a protected civil rights status. That was done in committee when the word “sex” was added. Meaning, it will require sex neutral public accommodations in Georgia.
Exception is Ambiguous
H.B. 849 “shall not apply to a private establishment, except¹ to the extent that facilities of such private establishment perform as a place of public accommodation.”
Conversation with the author of H.B. 849: “What will you do if someone tries to amend H.B. 849 with ‘gender,’ ‘gender identity’ or ‘sexual orientation’?” His reply, “No gender, no gender identity, but I don’t know about sexual orientation.” Then he was asked, “Does sexual orientation include gender and gender ID?” He didn’t answer, but, yes, it does. Currently, 58 identifications are acknowledged sexual orientations. Some of the 58 are listed in footnote 3.
The U.N. is lobbying for five² genders; Australia’s Human Rights Commission acknowledges 23 genders; Facebook and the Australian Broadcasting Commission recognize 583 genders.
Background. In the February 8th subcommittee meeting, Representative Taylor Bennett proposed amending H.B. 849 to prohibit discrimination based on “religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or veteran’s status.” The subcommittee defeated that amendment 6-4, but he offered it again the next day. Then, Representative Beskin offered “sex” as a one-word amendment and it passed. Then, the full committee voted 8-5 to pass the amended bill into the Rules Committee where sex should be deleted, because its multiple genders (behaviors) have been expanded far beyond natural male/female contact.
Give this message to the Rules Committee: “Delete the word ‘sex’ from H.B. 849
or defeat the bill.” Note: See page four to learn about students’
right to privacy in restrooms, etc.
ACTION – Oppose. Call any or all on the following list and ask them to defeat the bill or remove the word “sex.” House Rules Committee Representatives Meadows, Ch., 404 656-5141; Harrell, V-Ch., 656-0254; Richard Smith, Sec., 656-6831; Abrams, 656-5058; Ballinger, 656-0254; Benton, 463-3793; Burns, 656-5052; Cooper, 656-5069; Dempsey, 463-2247; Dickson, 463-2247; Drenner, 656-0202; Ehrhart, 463-2247; Evans, 656-6372; Fleming, 656-0152; Golick, 656-5943; Greene,656-0202; Hugley, 656-5058; Jackson, 656-0314; Jan Jones, 656-5072; Knight, 656-5099; Morris, 656-5115; Parrish, 463-2247; Peake, 656-5132; Alan Powell, 463-3793; Jay Powell, 656-7855; Ramsey, 656-5024; Rice, 656-5912; Carl Rogers, 656-7855; Terry Rogers, 651-7737; Setzler, 656-7857; Sims, 656-7857; Lynn Smith, 656-7149; Smyre, 656-0116; Stephens, 656-5115; Weldon, 656-5105; Willard, 656-5125; and Al Williams, 656-6372.
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¹ Does that exception include (a) public facilities at religious events held in public buildings or (b) nonreligious events held in facilities owned and operated by religious entities?
² Male, female, asexual, transsexual, and hermaphrodite
³ Included in the 58 genders: agender, androgyne, androgynous, bigender, cisgender, cis female, cis male, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, gender questioning, gender variant, genderqueer, intersex, neither, neutrois, non-binary, pangender, transgender, trans person, transfeminine, transmasculine, transsexual, transsexual female, transsexual male, transsexual person and two-spirit.
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