Washington state voters should be aware that Tim Eyman and the religious right are once again attempting to deceive and mislead the public. Permanent Defense has obtained copies of Eyman’s R-65 petition, which, strangely enough, he has not been distributing to his email list of supporters.

(Eyman’s small band of supporters have been getting fundraising emails and petitions for Initiative 917).

On the front of the Referendum 65 petition are the words:

NO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, NO QUOTAS, NO SAME SEX MARRIAGE

The entire subheading is a lie.

ESHB 2661 (which is the law Eyman is trying to repeal with R-65) does not give not anyone preferential treatment. In fact, it does just the reverse – it explicitly outlaws preferential treatment by banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

ESHB 2661 also has nothing to do with quotas or same sex marriage. To imply that it does is an outright fabrication, crafted to scare the electorate.

Ironically, below this subheader, there is the Ballot Measure Summary, which reads:

ESHB 2661 amends the state’s law against discrimination to prohibit discrimination based on “sexual orientation” in employment, housing, credit, insurance, health maintenance contracts, public accommodations, and commercial boycotts or blacklists. “Sexual orientation” includes heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and gender expression or identity.

State marriage laws are not modified, employment goals or quotas are not required, nor any specific belief, practice, behavior or orientation endorsed.

Religious organizations and owner-occupied dwelling units are exempt from this law.

That Eyman has the gall to make voters think ESHB 2661 is about preferential treatment, quotas, and same sex marriage is an outrage. But it’s not a surprise.

Permanent Defense strongly encourages voters not to sign Referendum 65, and to report signature gathering activity for this measure when they see it.