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Brownback said he was rescinding a 2007 order signed by
former Governor Kathleen Sebelius that established a "protected
class of rights" for state employees specifically for sexual
orientation and gender identity.
In its place, Brownback said he was issuing an executive order
that would boost state employment-related aid for veterans and
disabled people, while reaffirming the state's "commitment" to
employment practices that do not discriminate based on "race,
color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry or age."
Thomas Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, said
Brownback's order was an outrage and erases job protections for
gay, lesbian and transgender employees who had trusted they
would be safe from harassment and discrimination.
"If you work for the state, and have felt comfortable being
'out' at work knowing you had protection from bigotry, that
protection is gone," Witt said in a statement on the group's
website.
Brownback has been open about his opposition to same-sex
marriage during his long career in public office, which included
stints in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
He was elected governor of Kansas in 2010.
(Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City; Editing by Eric
Walsh)
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