New bill, proposed by Meretz MK, would seek to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
By LAHAV HARKOVGay pride in Israel (Jerusalem) 311(photo credit: REUTERS)
A new bill that seeks to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation will be brought to a vote by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday.The initiative, proposed by MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), would require that sexual orientation and gender identification be added to any existing law forbidding discrimination for other reasons.Many existing laws, including the Equal Opportunity in Employment Law, already include this prohibition.As such, separate bills to change each law would not be necessary, and it would apply to all future laws prohibiting discrimination, even if sexual orientation is not specifically mentioned.“In light of the constant harm to the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual] community because of their sexual preferences or gender identity, the time has come to fix the law,” Horowitz, who is gay, explained.The Meretz MK, who said that he represents a large community that suffers from inequality, is helping in the gay community’s legal battle.He expressed hope that the bill will pass and have an educational and social influence.
