Gay Rights Ordinance Repealed in Kalamazoo

[Ioo]

http://lezgetreal.com/2009/01/gay-rights-protection-ordinance.html

Last night the City of Kalamazoo. Michigan repealed a new anti-discrimination ordinance it had passed in December that would have protected the Kalamazoo LGBT community from unfair housing and employment practices based on their sexual orientation and made a violation of this ordinance an offense punishable by a fine of up to $500

However, soon after the Kalamazoo City Council passed this law by a 0 to 7 vote, local members of the Mississippi based American Family Association began objecting to the ordinance, focusing specifically on wording that also extended protection to transgendered citizens of the Kalamazoo and began circulating petitions calling for repeal or voter approval of the ordinance.


Under the Kalamazoo city charter, if sufficient signatures were certified, the ordinance had to be immediately suspended and the Kalamazoo City Commission would be forced to either decide to repeal the entire ordinance or put it on the ballot for city voters to approve.

The AFA had 20 days from the effective date of the ordinance to collect petition signatures and began targeting stores and homes during the busy Holiday season to obtain the needed signatures, the AFA managed to get at least 1,273 signatures, the required minimum.

During the petition circulation period the AFA went to homes and stores and conducted a mis-information campaign saying that organizations such as Kalamazoo’s Gospel Mission and Salvation Army could lose funding from the City of Kalamazoo if the ordinance was left in place and by rescinding the ordinance, potential violations of the privacy rights of women and children in public restrooms, locker rooms, and showers would be stopped. They also told Kalamazoo citizens that Gay and Lesbian were just seeking "Special Privileges" because current State and federal laws already protect the civil rights of all citizens, which in Michigan, is not true. Michigan law currently does not provide for protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

[closeupready]

1. Of course. It infringes on the freedom of bigots and homophobes to express their hate freely.

Makes sense to me. :sarcasm:

Scumbags. :mad:

[47of74]

2. Groups like the AFA are America's homegrown version of the Taliban.

[SoCalNative]

3. The AFA and their ilk

need to keep their noses OUT of places they don't belong.

It's things like this that really make me detest part of the First Amendment.

[DU9598]

4. Now is the time for Federal Civil Rights protections

Screw this practice of letting certain cities and states set their own protections. The federal government must ensure fair housing and employment laws for the GLBT community.

[Yes We Did]

5. Absolutely.

But it should be done so for all groups.

[FreeState]

6. Frank is pushing for it....

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/01/08/7871

"Frank is uncharacteristically hopeful about the future, including gay rights. “We’re going to do three things in Congress,” he told me. “First, a hate-crimes bill—that shouldn’t be too hard. Next, employment discrimination. We almost got that through before, but now we can win even if we add transgender protections, which we are going to do. And finally, after the troops get home from Iraq, gays in the military. The time has come.”



Here is to hoping out transgendered brothers and sisters get the protections they deserve and desperately need.

[Solon]

7. Is there a push for a fair housing bill as well?

That's another thing that needs to be done on the federal level.

[FreeState]

8. I have not seen that mentioned - but like you would welcome it :) n/t