Washington House Bill 2661

• Expanded the jurisdiction of the human rights commission to include sexual orientation and gender expression or identity as a basis for prohibiting discrimination. • Added definitions for sexual orientation and gender expression or identity to Washington's Law Against Discrimination. • Exempted from Washington's Law Against Discrimination those real estate transactions that include the sharing, rental, or sublease of a dwelling unit when the dwelling unit is to be occupied by the owner or sublessor. ==History and Prior Legislation==

Employment discrimination based on sexual orientation in state agencies and higher education institutions was previously prohibited by executive orders issued by Governor Booth Gardner and again in 1991. House Bill 2661 extended employment discrimination protections to both public and private sectors. Multiple "gay rights" bills had been proposed in Washington State, starting in 1977, and this bill was considered "long-awaited". Washington State politician Cal Anderson proposed a bill extending discrimination protections to LGBTQ people every year he was a legislator, from 1987 until his death in 1995. ==Senate Floor Record==

Immediately prior to the vote on this bill, multiple senators came forward to make statements about the bill. ==See also==