This is the story, from the AP as filed by Matt Gouras, which was top center in the fish-wrap copy of the Bozeman Chronicle today. You won't find it on the front of the Chronicle website, but rather only in State News. It details how the Montana House of Representatives Judiciary Committee sent HB 516 on to a full floor vote. If any are unfamiliar, that would be the bill that would strike down any anti-discrimination ordinance that deviates from the statewide version. It's passage would be a victory for the Montana Talibangelicals.
I'm not bringing this up solely because this a blow to universal human rights, which it is. Jamee Greer and others make that point far better than I. No, I bring this up because not once in the article does it mention the city of Bozeman. "So what?" you might ask. Allow me to respond. There's two reason's actually. The first is that the Bozeman city commission has a city wide policy statement of anti-discrimination similar to Missoula's ordinance. That too would be struck down by HB 516. One would think it significant to mention that in the home town Bozeman newspaper.
Second, look at the headline: Montana GOP targets Missoula Gay Rights Ordinance. Accepted that Matt Gouras may not be the writer of the headline, there is still something chilling and instructive about it, and the actions taken by the Montana Republican representatives. Though the bill's text speaks clearly of 'protecting classes' of people, this is all about teh GEY, and how they must not be "protected". In other words, this is a direct attack against the rights of GBLT people, the very rights the rest of us enjoy as being protected in one manner or another. Simply put, they are not worthy of protection. It's also rather pointed that this is aimed at Missoula, and only at Missoula. Bozeman's fair policies are only collateral damage to the hippy punching of putting Missoula in it's 'proper place'. And this coming from the same bunch of folks who bristle at the fact that the Federal Government can tell them what to do. I invite you to consider the bitter irony of that on your own.
I recently had a terrific conversation with an individual in the know who stated something that I've recognized for some time. Bozeman is not well liked in Montana. We are seen as 'snooty'. But having grown up in the Bitterroot (almost spelled it Bitterrot ... wouldn't that be pointed) I recognize that whatever disdain is directed at Bozeman pails in comparison to the bile reserved for Missoula. It does not speak well of us as a state when our GBLT friends and family are used as disposable pawns in games of civic rivalry.
(Crossposted at LitW)
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