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Welcome to Diversity Chat for the week of September 4th, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss the uproar over a new California law aimed at ensuring fair treatment for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered, explore whether or not the developmentally disabled may be a protected class that’s overlooked when it comes to enforcing civil rights laws, take a look at the implications of recent sexual harassment cases and review some of the most recent insensitive remarks by those that truly should know better.
Plus, in our interview segment, we welcome back Dona Blackman, Director of Human Resources for Value Options of New Mexico, who gives us her insight into dealing with sexual harassment at the corporate level, and practical advice for those dealing with sexual harassment on the individual level.
First, here are some of the week’s top stories in human relations, equal opportunity and diversity:
The U.S. Justice Department this week reached a settlement with the state of Kentucky on civil rights violations involving a center for persons with developmental disabilities. The settlement requires Kentucky to make sure residents of the Communities at Oakwood are adequately protected from harm and have sufficient services – as required by t he Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed Senate Bill 1441 into law, making it illegal for state-funded service providers like police, fire departments and universities to discriminate against gays and lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons.
California State Senator Sheila Kuehl sponsored the measure. She says it "closes a crucial gap" in state civil rights law. Opponents of the measure say it opens up organizations and institutions who oppose gay rights to legal challenge, and constitutes an assault on religious freedom.
The fallout from Virginia GOP Senator George Allen’s use of the word “macaca” to describe an Indian American worker for his opponent’s campaign continued this week. Allen declined to accept the Community Leadership award from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund after donors to the fund threatened to withhold contributions if he accepted the award.
A voter initiative that would eliminate affirmative action will remain on the Michigan ballot, even though a federal judge said promoters of the measure had engaged in systematic voter fraud. U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow said supporters of the anti-affirmative action measure had told voters they were signing a petition in favor of affirmative action. But Tarnow said because the deception wasn’t aimed at any particular group it didn’t violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
And there’s additional fall-out from a high-profile sexual harassment case in Boston. Dr. Robert Hadad lost his job as President of Caritas Christi Health Care System three months ago. And now, Peter Holden is stepping down as president of one the system’s largest hospitals. Holden’s report on Hadad’s behavior was part of the evidence cited in an internal investigation of the matter.
President Bush traveled to Salt Lake City last week – and about 130 people rallied ahead of his visit in favor of immigration reform that includes a guest worker program and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country. Most of the protestors were Latino – but not all. Suleyman Khaliov – a documented immigrant from Russia – also attended the rally. He said he suffered discrimination in Russia because of this Turkish ethnicity – and doesn’t to see the same thing happening to others here in America.
And finally...
Colorado GOP Congressman Bob Beauprez stuck his foot in his mouth during an interview recently on KCFR radio. In a discussion about abortion, Beauprez asserted that abortion rates among African American women in Colorado are as high as 70%. In fact, abortion rates among African American women in Colorado are no greater than any other group. Beauprez, who’s running for Colorado governor, later apologized, saying he thought he’d heard the astronomically high number somewhere.
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