Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 22:45:13 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Isaac Subject: DECLINE TO SIGN INITS. 166/167 (WA) (fwd) The two anti-gay initiatives filed on 8 March have been assigned numbers by the Secretary of State. They are 166 and 167. I-166 is brought to us by the folk who gave us I-608 last year; I-167 by those who sponsored I-610 last year. Excerpts of the initiatives are included below. Full texts are available from the Washington State Legislative Gopher at gopher://leginfo.leg.wa.gov. Subject: initiative_166_032795 INITIATIVE 166 AN ACT Relating to prohibiting special rights for homosexuals; adding new sections to chapter 49.60 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 1. {+ THE EQUAL RIGHTS, NOT SPECIAL RIGHTS ACT. +} This act shall be known and cited as the Equal Rights, Not Special Rights Act. {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 49.60 RCW to read as follows: {+ ENSURING EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW. +} The people find that equal protection of the law, not special rights, is a fundamental principle of constitutional government and is essential to the well- being and perpetuation of a free society. The people further find that there is a legitimate and compelling state interest in ensuring equal protection of the law for all citizens and in preventing special rights based on any homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, or transvestite status, preference, orientation, conduct, act, practice, or relationship. The people further find that there is a legitimate and compelling state interest in ensuring that the rights of parents to control the education of their children and that the sincerely held values and beliefs of citizens regarding homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, or transvestism are not denigrated or denied by the public schools and that homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, or transvestism are not presented, promoted, or approved as positive, healthy, or appropriate behavior. The people further find that "the duty of all teachers" as required in RCW 28A.405.030 "to endeavor to impress on the minds of their pupils the principles of morality, truth, justice, temperance, humanity and patriotism" and "to teach them to avoid idleness, profanity and falsehood" is an indispensable prerequisite for providing a sound education, maintaining a virtuous and ethical society, and guaranteeing the rights of all citizens. {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 49.60 RCW to read as follows: {+ PROHIBITING SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR HOMOSEXUALS. +} Neither the state of Washington, nor its political subdivisions, including counties, cities, towns, and school districts, shall by any means or instrumentality, enact or enforce a policy whereby any homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, or transvestite status, preference, orientation, conduct, act, practice, or relationship shall be a basis for a person to maintain any special classification or privilege; minority status; quota preference; affirmative action right; legal standing; public benefit; marital, spousal, parental, familial, or domestic privilege, advantage, entitlement, benefit, position, or status; claim of discrimination; or special right or protection. A school, through any employee, volunteer, guest, or other means or instrumentality, shall not present, promote, or approve homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, or transvestism, or any such conduct, act, practice, or relationship, as a positive, healthy, or appropriate behavior or lifestyle. As used in this section, "school" means any common school of the state of Washington. Subject: initiative_167_032895 INITIATIVE 167 AN ACT Relating to adoption and foster care placement of minor children; adding new sections to chapter 26.33 RCW; and creating new sections. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 1. This measure shall be known and cited as the responsible adoptions act. {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 26.33 RCW to read as follows: The people find that there is a compelling state interest in the adoption and foster care of minor children, however, the people find that the state's interest in adoptive and foster care placement of minor children is limited to consideration of the well-being of minor children in need of adoption or foster care and does not extend to providing for the needs, whether real or perceived, of adults to become adoptive or foster care parents. Therefore, the people find that in adoptive and foster care placement of minor children all consideration must be given to the well-being of the child, and that sound, natural family relationships are the most important initial consideration of that well-being. The people further find that there is a compelling state interest in the adoptive and foster care placement of minor children, if at all possible, in sound, married, male-female households. Therefore, the people establish that: Neither the state of Washington nor any political subdivision nor any agency of the state shall, for purposes of adoptive or foster care, place any child into the custody of a person who practices homosexuality, or who is participating in a same-gender marriage or domestic partnership. Placement of minor children made prior to the effective date of this act is not affected by this section. (1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the state or any agency of the state to take or remove any child from the custody of the child's natural parent; and (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the state or any agency of the state to initiate inquiries into or undertake investigations of parents, or to otherwise violate the privacy of families, except as otherwise provided by law to monitor the continued well-being of children placed by the state for purposes of adoptive or foster care. {+ NEW SECTION. +} Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 26.33 RCW to read as follows: For purposes of section 2 of this act: (1) "Person who practices homosexuality" means any person who engages in sexual activity with individuals of the same gender or has a sexual desire for a person of the same gender, as determined by the individual's willingness to be openly self-identified with those desires. (2) "Gender" means the natural gender that was known at or before birth. (3) "Domestic partnership" means any cohabitive arrangement between two persons who have not committed themselves to each other through marriage. * Richard Isaac __*_*___ report sightings of signature-gathering for \* * / Seattle anti-gay initiatives to: *\ * 767-2457 ***\**/** rmisaac \/ @eskimo.com ****************************************************************************** To subscribe to the list, email MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu the one line message 'subscribe queerplanet'. 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