Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Indianpolis Bans Anti-Queer Discrimination

(Link) Despite efforts to block it by a host of conservative groups, the measure passed on the second go 'round by a single vote. Sit back and watch as tolerance breaks out all over Hoosier Land!
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1 comment:

LNewsEditor said...

JIC Post:
From 365Gay.com

(Indianapolis, Indiana) Indianapolis City-County Council voted Monday night to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the areas of employment, education, public accommodations, and housing.

The measure passed by a single vote, 15-14.

Members of the LGBT community in the visitors gallery cheered when the winning vote was case. Supporters of the measure said the ordinance shows the city is tolerant, but opponents decried the ordinance claiming the gay community has not shown it had been victimized.

It was the second time the measure made it to council. It was rejected in April on an 18 - 11 vote after the conservative group Advance America launched an e-mail campaign encouraging its members to write the 29 council members.

Last month pastors from nearly a dozen Indianapolis black churches held a prayer service in the City-Council building calling on divine intervention to block the proposed ordinance.

Many major businesses in Indianapolis already have non bias provisions in their workplace regulations. The governor's office and the prosecutor's office also had protections for LGBT workers.

And, as supporters of the measure pointed out, the city already had protections for it gays and transgendered workers. Supporters, including the ordinance's sponsor, Jackie Nytes, said the measure only takes those existing provisions and applies them to all businesses and landlords within Marion County.

“The fact that council members from both sides of the aisle supported this proposition speaks firmly that Indiana’s leaders believe strongly in fairness for all Hoosiers,” said Kathy Sarris, President of Indiana Equality.

Indianapolis is now one of seven municipalities in Indiana that prohibit discrimination in housing, employment and accommodations based on sexual orientation. Other areas include the cities of Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Michigan City and West Lafayette, and Tippecanoe County. The Indianapolis ordinance also includes protection for transgender individuals.

More than 100 cities and municipalities across the United States have passed similar protections for its LGBT citizens.

12/21/2005 10:20 AM

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