(Raleigh, North Carolina)  A North Carolina man has told a House committee that he could lose his civil service job for supporting legislation that would ban the firing of state employees because they are gay or lesbian.

Troy Page, an employee at the Administrative Office of the Courts, said the head of his agency, N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake, would probably fire him once he found out the employee was gay.

Still, Page said he believed it was important for him to speak as the House State Government Committee began hearing public deputations on the bill. 

Jo Wyrick, executive director of Equality N.C. told the committee there is a sense of fear among gay state workers. "This week, I spoke with 11 gay and lesbian employees," she said. "All 11 said they were afraid they would be fired [if they came to the hearing]. That's a fair indicator it is an issue."

Sodomy is illegal in North Carolina and gays have no statewide civil rights.

John Rustin, a lobbyist for the Christian conservative Family Policy Council, said a law protecting gay civil servants would give protection to people who commit criminal offenses under the state's "crimes against nature" law. Furthermore, he said, the phrase "sexual orientation" in the proposed law could mean "sodomy, bestiality, pedophilia and bisexuality."

"Please," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Paul Luebke, a Durham Democrat, "that has nothing to do with this." He called Rustin's comments "offensive."

Wyrick said that the legislation would help the state keep good workers.

"Nearly two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies have these policies," she said. "They have these policies because they're good for business."

Rep. Luebke said he would ask for a vote next week.