[Imc-newsroom] [85Percent] FW: Decatur passes GLBT rights ordinance (fwd)

[Mark Enslin]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 14:10:58 -0500
From: "Kranich, Kimberlie" <Kranich at WILL.uiuc.edu>
To: "'85percent at yahoogroups.com'" <85percent at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [85Percent] FW: Decatur passes GLBT rights ordinance

 

-----Original Message-----
From: RickGarcia60 at cs.com [mailto:RickGarcia60 at cs.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 2:02 AM
To: Equalityillinois at cs.com
Subject: Decatur passes GLBT rights ordinance




>From Decatur, IL


Tonight, the Decatur City Council voted 6-1 to add sexual orientation to
that city's Human Rights Ordinance.  For over two hours, the seven city
council members took testimony from 58 people. Opponents (almost all Baptist
and other fundamentalist ministers) claimed the ordinance was bad for small
businesses, would violate religious institution's rights, provided special
rights for pedophiles, voyeurs, prostitutes, and would draw God's wrath on
the city of Decatur.

Linda Schroeder, the key organizer of this effort, did a bang up job of
lining up brilliant testimony and providing the council members with an
enormous amount of solid and reliable information about the ordinance.
Linda is a member of the Decatur Human Rights Commission.  She follows Greg
Gravmeier, former president of GLAD, on the Commission.  (Both are treasured
Equality Illinois members and have been honored by us for their work in
Central Illinois.) 

Equality Illinois' newest board member, Pamela Sumners, provided expert
legal opinion on the legislation and the Gay and Lesbian Association of
Decatur's members and leadership provided the firm foundation for this
legislative success.

A wide variety of folks testified in favor of the ordinance.  The head of
the Decatur Federation of Labor gave brilliant testimony, Professor Ramona
Oswald provided solid polling data, and Lutheran (ELCA), Methodist, UCC, and
Disciples of Christ ministers gave inspiring testimony. Equality Illinois
also testified.

But, the most compelling testimony came from glbt citizens of Decatur.  Some
spoke out publicly for the very first time about being gay in Decatur.

The ordinance is gender identity inclusive. 

The City Council of Bloomington will address a similar ordinance on the
28th.  Equality Illinois is working with two other Illinois cities and one
county planning strategy for local ordinances.  More on that as it develops.

It's been a long day, I'm wiped out but I wanted to let you know about this
great news.

Rick Garcia