Schwarzenegger
signs pro-gay antidiscrimination bill

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger added to his mixed record on gay rights by signing a bill Tuesday protecting gay and transgender people from discrimination in state programs. The Nondiscrimination in State Programs and Activities Act, sponsored by state senator Sheila Kuehl, an out gay Democrat from Santa Monica, bans discrimination in state-operated or state-funded programs on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill, which faced strong opposition from conservative religious groups, will protect all Californians who utilize services such as food stamps, financial aid, and police and fire protection. "I am very grateful to the governor for signing [the bill], which will extend equal nondiscrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Californians who depend on our state's vital programs and services," said Kuehl. The nonprofit advocacy group Equality California also supported the nondiscrimination bill.

While Schwarzenegger showed a willingness to support gay rights in Tuesday's decision, in September 2005 he vetoed a legislature-approved bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in California. (The Advocate)