Family Foundation story was upsetting

Family Foundation story was upsetting

Editor:

The recent story about the "non-partisan," "family values" event featuring Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, by the Havre Daily News was upsetting.

Mr. Laszloffy stated that "we must not hate them," in reference to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. He also talked about how important civility is. I agree that civil dialogue, free of violence and the threat of violence, is critical to a successful democracy.

I'm a gay person, and I work to try to pass policies that will allow LGBT individuals to fully participate in our communities and our state (for the Montana Human Rights Network in Helena). What's on our agenda? We are working to ensure that people can't be fired from their job or denied housing simply because of their sexual orientation. We are trying to create domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex couples so that they can have the most basic protections for their families. We think that it is a good thing when schools teach students that it is hurtful and disrespectful to use gay slurs against each other, as well as the fact that gay people exist in our communities.

Mr. Laszloffy opposes every one of these things. He believes that it should be legal for me to be fired from my job because I'm gay. He thinks it should be legal for me to be denied housing because I'm gay. And he believes that my family should not be recognized by this state because I'm gay.

Does giving me the ability to protect my family really threaten my neighbors' families? I can't understand how it does, and my current neighbors don't seem to think so. What I understand is that if opposing my basic human rights to find a job, find a home, and protect my family is "not hating me," then I'm not sure I care about the difference between hating me and not hating me. Either way the result for myself and my family seems to be the same — being an invisible, unprotected, and second-class member of my community and my state.

Kim Abbott

Organizer, Montana Human Rights Network

Editor:

The recent story about the "non-partisan," "family values" event featuring Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, by the Havre Daily News was upsetting.

Mr. Laszloffy stated that "we must not hate them," in reference to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. He also talked about how important civility is. I agree that civil dialogue, free of violence and the threat of violence, is critical to a successful democracy.

I'm a gay person, and I work to try to pass policies that will allow LGBT individuals to fully participate in our communities and our state (for the Montana Human Rights Network in Helena). What's on our agenda? We are working to ensure that people can't be fired from their job or denied housing simply because of their sexual orientation. We are trying to create domestic partnerships or civil unions for same-sex couples so that they can have the most basic protections for their families. We think that it is a good thing when schools teach students that it is hurtful and disrespectful to use gay slurs against each other, as well as the fact that gay people exist in our communities.

Mr. Laszloffy opposes every one of these things. He believes that it should be legal for me to be fired from my job because I'm gay. He thinks it should be legal for me to be denied housing because I'm gay. And he believes that my family should not be recognized by this state because I'm gay.

Does giving me the ability to protect my family really threaten my neighbors' families? I can't understand how it does, and my current neighbors don't seem to think so. What I understand is that if opposing my basic human rights to find a job, find a home, and protect my family is "not hating me," then I'm not sure I care about the difference between hating me and not hating me. Either way the result for myself and my family seems to be the same — being an invisible, unprotected, and second-class member of my community and my state.

Kim Abbott

Organizer, Montana Human Rights Network