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City amends ordinance on discrimination
Charles K. Wilson
El Paso Times
The City Council expanded its anti-discrimination ordinance
Tuesday, unanimously voting to ban discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity, which refers to people who have
undergone sex changes.
Originally set to add only "sexual orientation"
to the ordinance, the council also included "gender identity"
after Lisa Turner, a council candidate for District 8, requested
the addition.
West Side Rep. Jan Sumrall, who had been "wanting to
do this for years," faced no opposition to her amendment,
the culmination of several years of support for the gay and lesbian
community in El Paso.
The change "is long overdue," said Rob Knight, president
of Lambda Community Center and GLBT -- or Gay Lesbian Bisexual
Transgendered. "This will bring El Paso into a new generation
of tolerance and equality and fairness for all."
Among Texas' larger cities, Houston and Dallas include either
sexual orientation or gender identity in their anti-discrimination
ordinances, according to an online search of city codes. Fort
Worth forbids discrimination for "sexual orientation in
any manner."
There was also a practical reason for the change, Sumrall
said. A number of companies require a prohibition against sexual-orientation-based
discrimination before they will provide grants or donations,
she said.
Violating the city's anti-discrimination ordinance is a misdemeanor
punishable by a fine of up to $200.
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The ordinance
It is unlawful for any person, firm, association or
corporation, or any agent, servant or employee thereof within
the city, to refuse, deny or withhold from any person, for any
reason directly or indirectly relating to the race, gender, gender
identity, sexual orientation, color, religion, ethnic background
or national origin of such person, any of the accommodations,
advantages, facilities or services offered to the general public
by place of public accommodation. |
Charles K. Wilson may be reached at cwilson@elpasotimes.com |