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Loading ...Seattle to release names of gay and lesbian city workers
06.19.2009 5:00pm EDT
(Seattle) After a Seattle City Light employee filed for the release of the names of gay and lesbian city workers involved in a city-sponsored club earlier in the month, the city of Seattle reluctantly did the same. The city is claiming the state public-records act requires the names to be released.
Philip Irvin, a self-proclaimed civil rights leader who was thwarted in his attempts to create a city-sponsored group of ex-gay employees, asked earlier this month for the names of employees associated with the department’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning and Friends Club. Members of the club sued to prevent their names from being released claiming it would violate their privacy.“The city sympathizes with the concerns that plaintiffs have expressed,” Assistant City Attorney Gary T. Smith said in court documents. “Nonetheless, the city believes that the Public Records Act obligates it to disclose the records at issue.”
Read the full Seattle-Post Intelligencer story here.
That’s one of the dangers of being a public employee. Several years ago where I live in Penna., a group took an ad out in the paper listing the names, addresses and salaries of every teacher in a school district that was on strike. All of it was public information so there was no way to stop it.
Privacy of almost any kind is pretty much an illusion these days. You never know when you’re being taped by a security camera, or your IP packets are being scrubbed by hackers or the National Security Agency, or your personal information is accidentally published by an insurance company or bank.
At least these people in Seattle know who it is that wants their information. Most of us never know.
Hmmm. In Ohio, we had a battle a couple of years ago when the Columbus Dispatch wanted access to the home addresses of all state employees. The compromise reached was that that information would be released for some, but not those in positions/agencies where it could easily be foreseen as being used for harassment. I know Rehabilitation & Corrections and Mental Health are both exempt from public disclosure.
Yeah, I have a funny feeling that this bonehead is working his way toward being the subject of a class-action lawsuit, and he’ll probably lose.
Here start the Witch Hunt. Before long they will start rounding up all the Gay people. Maybe burn them at the stake light they did wiches. Or intern us like the Japs in World War Two.
If we don’t act soon, we will be gone. The Church says Only God will Judge us. Then why are all the do gooders Judging us. Most rape cases are not Gay. Why did the Catholic Church hide their Prests that molested Children. If they were such do gooders, why didn’t they turn them in. I am Gay, I was raped as a child. I was robed of a child hood. I would never ever want to do that to a Child. Just because we are gay, doesn’t make us sick. The ones that are sick are people that think they are better then all. They have all the answers. They are wakos
the article doesn’t say what the club is but it does say “City Sponsored” so if the city’s money is going towards this club taxpayers in the city have the right to know who’s involved.
If you check the link the club is called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning and Friends Club.
Asking about sexual orientation of the club members is suspect.
There is a long-standing tradition in Washington Law, that ‘personnel’ matters are not up for public debate, or viewing, and are kept private between the institution and the employee. IE – you can’t file a Freedom of Information request to find out Susie in accounting’s home address or medical conditions.
I don’t know why the city wouldn’t argue this tact…
Does the city have an AA group? And will those names also be published?
You cannot compare this as the same thing to releasing the names of prop 8 contributers or other petition gathering lists.
Petition gathering lists are ALREADY public record. Gay groups aren’t “releasing” anything that isn’t already released, they are just compiling the names and advertising them.
As for this, statistical information is all that should be compiled from declaring that you are gay or lesbian, not individual names. Otherwise they would be required to divulge the specific names of those who are black, asian, etc to whomever requests this information. Declaring any minority information to your employer is OPTIONAL.
Also, I’m not sure what the big deal is here. So what if someone wants a list of gays. Any action performed will be construed as harrassment and they will be sued.
Prop 8 sucks. What gave the court the right to take away minority rights away willy nilly? No where in the U.S. constition does it say the heterosexuals have the power to determine which equal rights the minorities get.
This is a little off-topic, but correct use of “who” and “whom” is being lost. The following examples are correct:
“They divulged the information to whoever requested it.”
“They divulged the information to whomever they wished.”
The subordinate clause governs.
Don’t see an issue with it. People need to stand up for what they believe in. I’d be the first to step up and say that I’d be on the list.
1. Callie Torres
2. Arizona Robbins.
Sorry. When I have no words, I resort to some form of humor. Because if I can’t laugh, I’ll go crazy.
If it’s a city-sponsored club, then their names are required to be public knowledge. Maybe they should have formed a privately funded/sponsored group amongst themselves.
This will not be a popular comment but,If the information is about an affinity/advocacy group that is sponsored by a governmental agency, sorry…the information IS public information and is subject to release: even to bigots and idiots.
Members of government sponsored advocacy groups should know that ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they do related to the government, from work, to taxes, to income, to e-mail and any documents and yes, advocacy group membership, is subject to FOIA requests.
If the topic was important enough for you to join an advocacy group, why would you be embarassed to have anyone find out? Take responsibility and ownership of who you are and your actions…just like those that “harrass” will be held accountable. I hate this ignorant “game” of who can be “bullied” and ridiculed enough to be chased “out of the way” and back into a closet.
Do I not understand this correctly because I think some of you are missing the point. I am to understand that the request was for the gay and lesbian member list. Some are saying that it was for the entire member list of employees. If it is for the entire list then its fine, but if it is for the specific gay and lesbian workers then that is a privacy matter. There is no guarantee that just because you work for a gay and lesbian center or whatever it is, that you must be gay or lesbian.
You can’t have it both ways – getting the benefits (paid for by the public) means playing by the open records laws.