8/6/09 Bend

By Doug Johnson

"Up until January first, 2008, it was perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay lesbian or transgender, so it's really exciting that a we have our Oregon law, but there's still 38 states in the country that are not protected," says Jenni Peskin with the Human Dignity Coalition in Bend.

That's one reason why this week first term Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. If passed, it would offer legal protection to workers who believe they have been denied jobs or promotion based on their sexual orientation nation wide. Gay rights advocates, like Peskin , have been seeking federal legislation for years. But the movement started in communities like Bend. It was the tenth city and or county in the state to ban workplace discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgenders, back in 2004 when City Council voted in the equal rights ordinance.

"That was three years before we even had a state wide law, so yes, Bend was part of the pathway to equality in Oregon," Peskin says.

Now, possibly the country. However, previous national legislation regarding workplace protection to gays has failed. The state legislation also originally failed in 2005, and the city ordinance had it's opposition too. Former Bend resident Dave Eaton tried but failed to get the issue on the ballots in 2004. He tells KOHD that the city ordinance is what city council at the time wanted, not what the people did. Peskin says she knows others will also oppose Senator Merkley's national legislation, but believes ultimately it will succeed.

"Whenever there is something pro-equality that comes out you will always see the opposition, but it give us an opportunity to organize and bring people together who believe in equality," says Peskin.