Bill to protect transsexuals from workplace discrimination advances

By Cy Ryan

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 | 2:25 p.m.

CARSON CITY – A family therapist in Las Vegas told a Senate committee on Wednesday that she has been fired twice on grounds she was a transsexual.

And Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, testified he was also dismissed from a job for being gay.

Their testimony came before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Labor and Energy voted 4-3 in favor of a bill that would prohibit discriminatory employment practices based on gender identity or expression.

Jane Hennan, the family therapist, said one of her dismissals came from a Las Vegas casino. She said employment should be based on job performance and not on person’s gender.

Parks said he tried 12 years ago to include gender identity and expression in a non-discrimination bill but “there were a lot of questions unanswered and it (gender identity and expression) was removed.

The bill received the support of the Nevada Resort Association, the Nevada Progressive Leadership Alliance, Planned Parenthood, the Nevada Women’s Lobby and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Bob Ostrovsky, of the Resort Association, said employment should be measured by job performance, not whether a person is gay or bi-sexual.

“This is America in 2011 and we have to find a way to make it work,” Ostrovsky told the committee.

Sen. Michael Robertson, R-Las Vegas, questioned how the word “expression” in the bill could be interpreted. “There are all kinds of things this could mean,” he said.

But Assemblyman Paul Aizley, D-Las Vegas, said he didn't see any problem in the bill he sponsored. There is no question in hiring about whether the individual is male or female, he said.

Assembly Bill 211 defines gender identity or expression as meaning the gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.

The bill was approved 29-13 in the Assembly. Voting against the bill in the Senate Committee were Republicans Robertson, Elizabeth Halseth of Las Vegas and James Settelmeyer of Minden.