Topeka passes ordinance banning discrimination against gays

[Quetzal]

Topeka passes ordinance banning discrimination against gays

TOPEKA - The Topeka City Council on Tuesday night approved a version of an ordinance making it illegal for the city to discriminate in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation.

Council members voted 5-4 to approve the ban. City attorney Brenden Long said the measure affects the city of Topeka's hiring practices and not the public at large. He said Shawnee County commissioners passed a similar measure last year.

The council initially considered a proposal that would have inserted the terms "sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression" into sections of city code that ban discrimination based on other reasons, such as race, gender or disability.

Council members then voted 5-4 to amend the ordinance to remove the phrase "gender identity or expression."

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Topeka passes ordinance banning discrimination against gays

[TwentyFive]

1. OMG!!! Isn't this where Fred Phelps lives? godhatesfags.com

http://www.godhatesfags.com

When you strip away the smiles of Bush & Ashcroft, you get Fred Phelps.

[renaissanceguy]

11. HAHAHAHAHA

Go CHENEY yourself, Phelps!

[Roon]

2. Oh, I bet phelps is LOVING this, eom

[tk2kewl]

3. Did the dissenters have anything to say for themselves?

wasn't in the story

[buckettgirl]

4. Um, I might be wrong...

but isn't it already illegal to discriminate someone based on sexual orientation, among other things, when hiring for a job???
Doesn't that fall under being an "equal opportunity employer" or are employers not required to be equal opportunity?

[justin899]

5. No

Gays are about the only minority left which are not covered under federal anti-discrimination laws thanks to spineless Democrats who, after over 30 years of blind support from the GLBT community, have yet to really push to include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws. They trot out ENDA (which would include sexual orientation at least in employment laws, but not housing) every election then put it on the back burner until the next election, but there has never been any real move to actually pass the damn thing.

There are about 15 or 16 states with anti-discrimination laws which include sexual orientation. There are also communities, such as Topeka, which pass laws at the local level which include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws (meaning as soon as you step over the city or county line you lose your protections). But everywhere else in this backwards bigoted country it is still perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodations, sad to say.

[Zep]

8. but isn't it already illegal to discriminate someone ...

There's no general legal principle prohibiting discrimination.

One can discriminate on any basis except when explicitly prohibited.

On the federal level that does not include sexual orientation. On the state level, it varies by state. And there can be local ordinances, as now in Topeka.

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. Baby Steps

"It does not matter what form discrimination takes, we should at every step attempt to prevent it," said Topeka lawyer Pedro Irigonegaray. "The issue here is equal protection under the law."

While I am happy for my GLB friends. I can't help but be saddened by the additional vote to exclude my Trans friends.

[Terran]

7. I hope this puts to rest the idea

that the Midwest is a uniform blob of homophobic fundie conservatism. I would just add that we here in Missouri, despite fairly awful state election results, elected our first out Lesbian to the state General Assembly, and it's pretty well known that our new Secretary of State, Robin Carnahan, is a Lesbian also. Several cities in Missouri have anti-discrimination statutes that include GLBTers.

[JoshWatermanMN]

9. Agreed

As easy as it is to splatter the red states with a big brush, there are isolated oasises (sp?) of tolerance in those big blood-red seas. We only need to find a way of pushing the blue outside the cities and the universities to bring aid to our brothers and sisters in the rural areas.

[FM Arouet666]

10. Shocked

I bet that crazy bastard Phelps is planning all sorts of protests. Nice to see a bit of sanity in the news. All this negativity has gotten me down.

[renaissanceguy]

12. Ehhhh don't let it get you down.

Phelps is just a closet homosexual who can't come to terms with it. He'll get his day, I'm sure.