First, there are NO anti-LGBTQ States in the nation. There are States that treat all people the same—unlike California—and Democrats oppose equal treatment of citizens. Now BART has decided that if the Hollywood Slicky Newsom can travel to free States, why can’t their executives?
“BART is the latest public agency to second guess its boycott of anti-LGBTQ states.
The transit agency’s Board of Directors voted Thursday to end its policy that, since 2018, has prohibited its employees from traveling on BART’s dime to states that have enacted anti-LGBTQ laws.
BART’s policy mirrored California state law that served the same purpose for state employees.
By ending this policy BART will now recognize 23 States? Who cares?
BART reverses its ban on staff travel to anti-LGBTQ states
By Adam Shanks, SF Examiner, 4/13/23
BART is the latest public agency to second guess its boycott of anti-LGBTQ states.
The transit agency’s Board of Directors voted Thursday to end its policy that, since 2018, has prohibited its employees from traveling on BART’s dime to states that have enacted anti-LGBTQ laws.
BART’s policy mirrored California state law that served the same purpose for state employees.
When it was implemented, there were nine states on the anti-LGBTQ list. Today, that number stands at 23, making it increasingly difficult for BART employees to do things like attend a conference in, say, Texas.
That growth is also a hint to officials that their protest isn’t having its intended effect.
“There is growing consensus at the state and local levels that the travel ban policies are ineffective, and some entities have found ways to circumvent the policies or are working to rescind them,” BART staff wrote in a memo to the Board of Directors.
Board President Janice Li echoed that sentiment on Thursday, saying that if the policy worked as intended it would be “first, amazing, and also we would not be looking at rescinding” it.
“We want to make sure that we at BART make policies that have the outcomes and impact that our intent means for (them) to have,” Li said.
The City of San Francisco is having similar reservations about its own boycott of discriminatory states.
Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a law that ended its ban on contracting with companies based in states that discriminate against LGBTQ people and other disenfranchised groups.
The City found that the policy limited its pool of potential contractors, thus increasing the cost of public infrastructure projects, without showing any of its desired effects — dissuading states from adopting discriminatory laws.
San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has proposed legislation that would undo The City’s own travel prohibitions.
In changing its policy, BART noted that some of its own employees are LGBTQ or people of color, and should be given the opportunity to expand their professional development by attending conferences — even ones on California’s banned list.
“Moving forward the staff intends to consult a scorecard of pro-LGBTQ+ policies established by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) through their annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) to guide decision making on approving travel,” the staff memo stated.
