The Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance is planning to stage a candlelight vigil on the Green tomorrow night to protest a controversial Colorado law that denies gays, lesbians and bisexuals any special preferences or protection from job and housing discrimination.
The vigil will coincide with the United States Supreme Court's consideration of the law, said Alexis Sainz '96, a member of DRA and co-chair of the former Dartmouth Area Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Organization.
The Supreme Court will start hearing oral arguments on the constitutionality of Colorado's Amendment Two tomorrow morning.
Amendment Two, a referendum passed in 1992 by the citizens of Colorado, states that any person of "homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation" will not be given "any minority status, quota preference, protected status, or claim of discrimination."
The Colorado Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional but the state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The DRA vigil is scheduled to last approximately 30 minutes and will allow people to speak about their experiences with sexual discrimination, Sainz said.
"The vigil is designed so that people can come out, tell their stories and actually be heard," Sainz said. "The vigil is intended to first voice our position on" the Colorado legislation and "secondly to call attention to proposed legislation in the New Hampshire legislature."
Last year, the New Hampshire Senate overturned a provision that would have guaranteed equal rights for homosexuals and bisexuals. But Sainz said gay activists in the state are pushing for the New Hampshire legislature to reconsider to the question.
The bill would have made employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal, but was defeated in a 13-10 vote last year.
The current New Hampshire anti-discrimination law bars discrimination in employment and housing based on age, sex, color, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental disability, race and religious or political beliefs.
The new legislation would have added sexual orientation to that list. The same bill passed in the New Hampshire House in February 1994.
Under the Colorado law, people could be discharged from their job solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. Employers are not obligated to hire homosexuals and bisexuals and may even turn them away on the grounds of their sexual preference, Sainz said.
"This is a civil rights issue," Sainz said. "As a bisexual Latina, I face discrimination against both my sexuality and my ethnicity."
The Colorado law would in effect give states the framework in which to discriminate against gays, lesbians and homosexuals, Sainz said.
Earl Plante '94, secretary of the DRA, said the Colorado "legislation could set a dangerous precedent."
"Seeing that the [U.S. Supreme] Court has not revisited a case involving gay people [since 1986], this legislation could have long standing repercussions," Plante said. "Basically the legislation gives the state the power to single out people on the basis of their sexual orientation."
He said the law does not fit within the framework the country was founded upon, "equality for all."
Sainz said the DRA is inviting the entire College community to attend the rally, regardless of their sexuality.
"Although I am not personally affected by this legislation, I am disgusted by the fact that our political leaders feel its necessary to attack citizens purely because of their sexual preference," Liza Pfaff '99 said.
Additional reporting by Staff Writer Micheal Posey.