An incident that occurred February, 23rd at the Washington State Capitol has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Lou Novak, a vice-president of the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound, made a comment in a private conversation with a colleague that was overheard by a group from the Long Life AIDS Alliance as the they hoppity-skipped down the hall.
The Associated Press reported the following:
(Olympia Washington) Legislators are demanding an apology from a businessman who made anti-gay comments to a group visiting the Capitol for an AIDS awareness day.
"Looks like it's anal sex week," Lou Novak loudly remarked as a group from the Life Long AIDS Alliance walked though the state House office building. The group included a 13-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. The boy's family had recently been forced to move because of anti-gay prejudice in his neighborhood.
Novak is first vice president of the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound, a landlords' organization.
The leader of the AIDS awareness group, Suzie Saxton of Yakima, followed the man into the public Capitol cafeteria and asked him what he'd said. She said Novak repeated his comment and told her people shouldn't engage in irresponsible sex and ask for public money.
The incident happened Feb. 23. The Associated Press obtained a copy of a Senate report on the incident and spoke to Novak and Saxton on Wednesday. The Senate got involved when a woman sitting with Novak in the cafeteria called security. Senate Counsel Mike Hoover investigated the incident and wrote the report, which notes that the Legislature's rules of decorum and respectful workplace policy apply to visitors as well as lawmakers.
"It's not acceptable anywhere and certainly not at the state Capitol," said Saxton, executive director of an AIDS advocacy organization in Yakima. "He owes them an apology ... Certainly people are allowed their private opinions, but what he did actually borders on hate crime. He could be charged, and he's darn lucky that's not happening."
Novak said he regrets his remarks and will write a letter of apology. "The remark was made in private and they just happened to overhear it, and that's very unfortunate," Novak said Wednesday night. "I'm certainly sorry that anyone was offended by it."
Thursday, Novak resigned from the Association after its president wrote a letter of apology to several legislators. "RHA has a strong record of tolerance and understanding to all members of the community," president Cathy Jeney wrote. "We take these obligations seriously and, for that reason, included them in our member Code of Conduct. While an organization of 3,500 members cannot always control the individual actions of its members, I would like to assure you that RHA does not endorse or condone any comments which differ from our commitment to diversity."
The incident may affect consideration of House Bill 1515, which would ban discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment, insurance and housing. It passed in the House and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate. Opponents recently argued on the House floor that the bill is unnecessary because prejudice against gays and lesbians is dying out. Bill supporters point to Novak's comments. "The first vice president of a rental association attacking some kid ... is Exhibit A of why we need House Bill 1515," said Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, who sponsored the bill. "It's one thing to speak your mind. It's another thing to use abusive language in front of a minor." Murray called the incident "a black mark" on the Legislature.
Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, said she let the rental housing association know that Novak is no longer welcome to testify at her committee, which oversees housing issues. "I am a mother, and you do not say that kind of crap in front of children. You do NOT, I don't care what your feelings are," Fairley said. "You can't unring that bell for a child who's heard that, but for the parents and other people it will help to have letters of apology," Fairley said.
©Associated Press 2005
This "controversy" is so silly, I don't know where to begin. First of all, Suzie Saxton has lost her mind. The incident is a borderline hate-crime? Ms. Saxton, please. What Novak said may be crude but it is not a borderline hate-crime. Ms. Saxton is being silly. Besides, aren't gays proud of anal sex? Novak spoke the truth, Ms. Saxton. What are gay pride parades about? They're about celebrating anal sex. If you've ever seen a gay pride parade, you know precisely what I'm talking about.
Second, Rep. Ed Murray is out of his mind to say that Novak was attacking a kid. If mentioning anal sex in front of a 13-year old is an attack and a hate-crime, then gays should not be supporting teaching elementary kids about anal sex, should they? It's amazing that Washington State voters elected this moron to the legislature.
And Sen. Darlene Fairley's comments that "...you do not say that kind of crap in front of children. You do NOT, I don't care what your feelings are," are completely absurd. Again, people like the Long Life AIDS Alliance want anal sex taught in our schools.
Novak's comments should have amounted to nothing. But there has been an official investigation into it and Novak lost his job.
Once again, the left has proven they only support free speech for those they agree with. It's odd that the left accuses those on the right of being fascists and Nazis. Yet it's the left that wants to limit free speech by passing unconstitutional laws (like hate-crime legislation) limiting speech rights. So I ask: Who are the real fascists? It's the left.
Watch out, folks, soon "dirty looks" will be illegal.
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