Washington State Human Rights Commission

It is truly a proud month for Pride Events in the state of Washington. My name is Jerry Hebert and I am a Washington State Human Rights Commissioner, I was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire, and I am the first Openly Gay Commissioner appointed to this post.

I have served my country in the armed forces, I have served my community in the fight against AIDS, I have served my county in public non-profits, I serve my church as a pastor and leader, I serve the future by teaching in a two year college, I have served in Corporate America, and now I serve the state of Washington and the citizens of this great state, but for the first time in 50 years I serve with equal access to justice, fairness and equal opportunity, without fear.

The legislature and the Governor of our state saw the discrimination that we have fought against in Washington for 30 years and said – NO MORE. The law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is in full force and the Washington State Human Rights Commission is prepared, willing and able to, for the first time in our history, serve All of the citizens of Washington.

We owe a lot of people, past and present, our gratitude for carrying the fight through to the very end. We owe our friends and our allies our gratitude for standing beside us in the fight for justice. And most important of all we owe our young people the opportunity to live a life of equality, justice and safety no matter where they live or what profession they pursue. We must continue to be diligent in our fight to sustain the hard won human rights that we now, as of June 6th 2006, enjoy.

The LGBT community is the last group against whom discrimination is considered acceptable by many people in our country. We must continue to educate those who just do not understand us and to fight those who would harm us. We must stay active in the voting booths, strong in our communities and observant in our society. It is our charge to go beyond simple legal rights and move the broader community to embrace us as equals with the full measure of respect and responsibility that comes with full citizenship and equal protection under the law.

I speak for the entire Human Rights Commission when I say that we are proud to serve as the body responsible for administering, investigating and enforcing the laws under our jurisdiction and can promise that every person who calls the Commission will be fairly heard and the appropriate unbiased actions will be taken. We are proud of our Governor and the Legislature for making this expanded jurisdiction a tool in our ongoing struggle to bring communities together and insure a Safe, Fair, and Prosperous Washington for all of our residents and visitors. Thank you all for listening to me, thank you all for being here, and have a great pride celebration.

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