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Rob Kailey is a working schmuck with no ties or affiliations to any governmental or political organizations, save those of sympathy.
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Tue Apr 13, 2010 at 10:30:16 AM MST
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| Jay and others already posted the big news. The Missoula City Council last night overwhelmingly passed an inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance that extends a number of protections to people based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Here's just a few early thoughts on the vote:
- Equality Has Bipartisan Support. The vote of 10-2 included the "progressive bloc," but also a couple more unusual suspects: moderate Jon Wilkins and conservative Dick Haines, a Republican former state legislator. With their support for the measure, it also received the support of at least one member of council from each of Missoula's six wards -- a refreshingly broad victory.
- This Town Really Supports Equality. Between 6 and 6:30, the space outside the Council Chambers was running roughly 1:1 between supporters and opponents of the measure, but only because literally hundreds upon hundreds of supporters were rallying at Caras Park at the time. When the "reinforcements" arrived, the opponents of the ordinance were hugely outnumbered, probably on the scale of 5 or 6 to 1, if not more. This number becomes even more exaggerated when taking into account that a significant proportion of the opponents came in from out of town.
- There are some truly heartbreaking stories out there. There were family fights over equality in other eras. Fathers (and some mothers) who didn't understand their feminist daughters. Black parents who worried that their children were pushing too hard, too fast. But I can't think of another equality struggle that has pitched family members against each other in such a painful way as we had to witness last night. This may be a trite observation for others, but it really hit me again last night.
Jason Wiener had some great comments at the end of the night about how this ordinance isn't going away. Young people overwhelmingly support equality. There's a very good chance that the children being used by their parents to mobilize on this will in just a few years look back on their own actions with disbelief (or misremember them completely, as our brains tend to do).
The history of civil rights in America reminds us that these victories are rarely comprehensive and complete (which "political" victories ever are?). Racism still exists. Sexism still exists. Discrimination against Americans with disabilities is still very much present.
But last night, we bent that arc of history a little closer to justice. |
| Matt Singer :: A Few Thoughts on Last Night's Equality Vote |
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