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Subject: County to vote on gays
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 16:22:11 EST
Message-ID: <news40.1992Nov14.162212@AmeriCast.com>

\SE A;METROPOLITAN
\HD County to vote on gays
\SH Arlington likely to provide shield
\BY Laurie Kellman
\CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The Arlington County Board today is expected to add homosexuals to a
list of groups protected from discrimination under the county code.

The six-member board is slated to vote after a public hearing on
whether to add "sexual orientation" to current law that prohibits
landlords, employers and the county from discriminating on the basis of
race, color, sex, age, marital status, religion, handicap or national
origin.

Approving the amendment would put Arlington in line with Alexandria,
the District and Montgomery and Prince George's counties, which all have
legislation banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Prince William and Fairfax counties do not include sexual orientation
in their discrimination codes.

Today's public hearing, scheduled to begin after the County Board's
noon lunch break, is expected to be heated.

On an answering machine yesterday, a member of the Arlington Gay and
Lesbian Alliance asked supporters of the measure to attend even if they do
not plan to testify because at one point, he said, backers will be asked to
raise their hands to show their support.

The homosexual alliance has been lobbying board members to include the
language in the the code, said board member Mary Margaret Whipple.

The County Board office had received about 15 letters opposing the
proposal, said Janice Nisbet, clerk to the board.  One, signed by 19
persons, called the amendment "unnecessary."

"It appears that this consideration is intended to promote homosexual
activities in our community at the expense of . . . longtime families and
businesses who have paid taxes and built up this county," the letter said.

Another resident said he would reconsider his plan to stay in Arlington
if board members approve the measure.

"I am opposed to making homosexuals a legally protected group in
Arlington," wrote resident Richard Struyk.  "I have four young children and
do not want them to live in an area where this type of influence would
possibly increase with the passing of such a law."

Michael Dennis, compliance director for the Montgomery County Office of
Human Relations Commission, said he would not be surprised if the hearing
in Arlington becomes heated.

When Montgomery County held hearings on its policy in 1984, "it was
very interesting," he said.  "Some of us were called communists."

But the furor has since died down, he said.  Out of 306 discrimination
complaints last year, only six concerned sexual orientation.

"In my experience, people don't give a damn about sexual orientation.
They want you to pay your rent, they want you to do your job."


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