Wednesday, October 17, 2012

In Memphis: City Council approves Nondiscrimination Ordinance


My Homestate is trying to get there.

In Memphis, the City Council voted 9 to 4 to approve an amendment adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the city's workplace protections.

Here's more:
The language of the amendment had been previously approved to add "sexual orientation," but there was some confusion over whether or not such an amendment would violate the city's charter. At that time, city attorney Herman Morris said he believed the amendment would violate the charter, claiming a referendum may be required. But after further research, Morris changed his opinion. However, city council attorney Allan Wade stuck by his original opinion that passing the amendment violates the city charter. 
But Wade's opinion did not dissaude the council members who originally voted to add "sexual orientation." It also didn't prevent councilmen Harold Collins from changing his votes to "yes" this time around. Collins said he'd consulted with faith leaders and decided not to let his religious beliefs affect the way he voted on legislation.
Councilman Reid Hedgepeth, a conservative who voted in favor of the ordinance last time, told the audience that harassment and robo-calls from the amendment's opposition had only strengthened his resolve to vote in favor of the amendment again.
This is good stuff

source

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.