The issue of homosexual rights is an extremely touchy one in Montana. In 2008, a statewide controversy erupted once it was discovered that a copy of “The Joy of Gay Sex” was included in Helena’s Lewis & Clark Library. Homosexual acts are still illegal in the state; a referendum that would have decriminalized such acts was killed in the state’s legislature in 2011. Now, the city of Helena, the state’s capital, may soon debate a bill protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, as well as other groups such as pregnant women and single mothers.
Where is Helena anyway?
Helenarests at the very southern tip of Montana in Lewis & Clark County. The state’s capital boasts little over 28,000 citizens. An important landmark in state legislature and history, Helen symbolizes much of the tradition and inherent drama of the American West. The city naturally stands as an important place of influence in a traditionally conservative area. This legal change in thinking would be odd, especially with homosexual acts still banned in the state, but the discrimination law may become example of instituting actionable change as opposed to state level protection for homosexuals.
Discrimination Law in Montana
Change in discrimination law has been slow to come in Montana. The state is not just behind current trends on homosexual rights: single mothers and pregnant women remain unprotected by state law as well. In fact, the broadest and protective discrimination laws in Montana are those Federal laws which protect against discrimination in the workplace. Simply put, Montana appears to be as far from embracing liberal social values as any state in the Union.
The Power of Change
If the law passes, however, it would be recognized as a powerful symbol of the nation’s changing perception of civil rights. The landmark American law on discrimination remains the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While far from being the last Civil Rights law passed in the United States, that piece of legislature has defined modern civil rights; however, it is famously non-inclusive of gay rights. As such, sexual orientation advocacy has become the most prominent civil rights issue of the decade.
As individuals in Montana slowly strive to change how its public thinks about discrimination against gays, lesbians, transgender, bisexual, single mothers and pregnant women, the issue remains a hot button around the United States. If you feel you’ve been discriminated against, call the Law Offices of Valli, Kane & Vagnini today.
