Burlington Free Press – Lauren Ober – Free Press Staff Writer
Transgender advocates and allies gathered Thursday at a rally in Burlington to express their dismay and disappointment at the governor’s recent veto of a pivotal anti-discrimination bill.
Wednesday, Gov. Jim Douglas vetoed the Gender Identity and Expression Non-Discrimination Act. The bill was introduced to the Judiciary Committee in the spring of 2005. This year, the House passed the bill 88-47, and the Senate OK’d it with a voice vote.
In the message accompanying his veto, Douglas insisted that he is committed to fighting discrimination. He said, however, he had reservations about the language of the bill and said he felt that the bill had not been sufficiently considered by the Legislature.
“Discrimination in Vermont is unacceptable, and our state has a long, healthy and proud history of acceptance and tolerance,” Douglas told the Legislature in the message accompanying his veto. “I am concerned that (the bill) did not receive the kind of careful scrutiny and study that would be expected prior to making major modifications to Vermont’s anti-discrimination laws,” Douglas said.
At the rally, which drew about 60 people, advocates spoke about feeling disheartened by the veto. The governor’s decision prompted one member of the state Human Rights Commission to resign his post. Charles Kletecka sent the governor his resignation letter Thursday in protest of the veto.