September 16, 2014
National Gay Rights Group Forms Nebraska Chapter
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A national civil rights group says it's increasing its advocacy efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Nebraska.
The Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign will form a Nebraska chapter called HRC Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1r3qIXe ). Organizers said it will push for laws that protect people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
"There is simply no excuse for Nebraskans to discriminate against their neighbors," said Brad Clark, director of programmatic development for the campaign.
The organization said about one in five lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Nebraska report experiencing employment discrimination and about two in five say they've been harassed at work.
Lawmakers, municipal leaders and other gay and civil rights leaders who attended a press conference Monday said they welcome the national organization's announcement.
It follows two legislative sessions during which gay rights legislation failed, as did legal challenges to the state's gay marriage ban. Attempts to extend adoption and foster parent rights to any two unrelated adults and same-sex couples never made it out of committee.
