Afterward, Jamee Greer of the Montana Human Rights Network criticized the committee's decisions on the two bills.

"They have essentially made it clear that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Montanans are not equals and that they believe the LGBT people do not deserve the same protections as anyone else," he said.

During committee discussions, there was little debate on either bill, with Democrats doing most of the talking.

Before the vote on the McClafferty bill, Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, spoke out for the bill.

"As an out member of the lesbian community, you may never have experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation, but I have," she said, adding. "In many ways, I am not your peer. I am probably the only person - well, not in this room - who can be asked to leave a restaurant, denied housing, refused to be allowed into a hotel simply because of sexual orientation.

"It is a fact that I am not protected under the law. You can go ahead and vote against this bill, which I know you will, but that's a fact, and I want to you to know the face of a person who's affected by it and it's me."

During the discussion on Hansen's bill, Sands told the committee that passing HB516 would encourage discrimination.