New Zealand Votes for Equality.

[MENTION=1697]FrozNlite[/MENTION];
I do know how these things work. I was oversimplifying for the sake of rhetoric, but I guess that didn't work.

I know you're not looking for a law that says "don't fire gays", you're looking at the law that says, "don't fire people based on race, sex, religion, age, yadda yadda yadda" and you want to make sure it includes such terms as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in that list of criteria to not discriminate by.

My example still stands. There is no "eye color" or "handedness" or any number of other characteristics in that list, because nobody even thinks to discriminate based on them. That is true equality, legal and social. A state that puts "sexual orientation" in that list is acknowledging that its citizens would discriminate on that, given the chance. I don't see that as such a wonderful thing, but I suppose I'm skipping a step or three there.

My apologies. You're absolutely right, but I think any "step or three" you may potentially be skipping would simply be trusting society to be better than it is. As you know, we sadly live in an imperfect world where people do discriminate on certain identities, given the chance, because bigotry and hatred still exist, and those with such inclinations will always look for a means to justify actions fueled by such motives.

And thankfully there aren't any religious sects or extremist groups discriminating based on characteristics like "eye color" or "handedness" (that I know of), but does that not mean some may exist? If not now, but in the future? After all, how many science fiction tales of dystopian futures revolve around such social phobias or hate? The Uglies series, for example, contains a world in which equality is revered, though beneath that shining exterior is legitimate location-based discrimination against ugliness. Stories like these bring this exact element of society into focus, criticizing the behavior while subconsciously noting it's existence in our species.

In short, I agree with you and wish it were that simple, but humans are imperfect fools. Le sigh .