Civil Rights Briefs
NewsPlanet Staff
Thursday, December 24, 1998 / 06:12 PM
SUMMARY: Portland, Oregon resolves to provide t*-safe workplace
... Cedar Rapids, Iowa's rights ordinance crosses
2nd hurdle ... Tippecanoe County, Indiana rights proposal
comatose....
Portland, OR Protects T* (with thanks to GAIN, Gender Advocacy
Internet News) The City Council of Portland, Oregon on December
23 unanimously adopted a resolution against discrimination in
city employment based on "gender identity," defined as
"a person's actual or perceived sex, and includes a person's
identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that identity,
appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally
associated with a person's sex at birth." Director of the
transgender civil rights group It's Time, Oregon! Lori Buckwalter
noted that the resolution was not just a general statement of
support, but contains specific proposals designed to create a
workplace which will be both practical and a model for private
employers.
Among those proposals are inclusion of gender identity in city
agencies' non-discrimination guidelines, expansion of mediation
services to resolve gender identity-based employment
discrimination complaints, research into health insurance options
to meet the needs of transgendered and transsexual people, and
research into the possibility of expanding city equal employment
opportunity certification programs to include gender identity.
Noting that much remains to be done, Buckwalter said that
"this resolution creates a tangible prospect that we can
cooperate to dispel decades of misunderstanding, and make a real
difference in people's lives. Portland is now a place of unique
opportunity to start this important work."
Cedar Rapids Rights' 2nd Step The City Council of Cedar Rapids,
Iowa approved the addition of sexual orientation as a protected
category under the city's human rights ordinance in the second of
three readings on December 23. The vote was 3 - 2, as it was on
the first reading a week before; the final vote will be held on
January 6. The ordinance prohibits discrimination in employment,
housing, public accommodations, credit, and education.
The Council heard more public testimony on the issue, but instead
of listening silently as they had previously, Councilmembers
talked back on a few occasions. Two of the arguments countered by
Councilmembers supportive of the bill were that pedophiles might
be allowed to teach elementary school classes and that businesses
would be forced either to employ incompetent workers or to face
expensive legal cases. As Councilmember Nancy Evans stressed, the
law would make it illegal to fire workers because of their sexual
orientation, but they could still be fired for other reasons.
Tippecanoe Co.,IN Bill Delayed Indiana's Tippecanoe County
Commission has found the issue of discrimination based on sexual
orientation to be so divisive that on December 21 they could
agree only on setting it aside. While Commission President John
Knochel emphasizes the issue isn't dead, he says it won't be
taken up again for at least two months.
The group Citizens for Civil Rights had asked the Commission to
enact an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on a number
of characteristics including sexual orientation. Unable to agree
on the proposed bill, the Commission had asked the County
Attorney to draft instead a resolution. On December 21, the
Commissioners were unable to agree even on a human rights
resolution which omitted sexual orientation. While they shelved
any such legislation for now, Knochel endorsed the idea of a
series of public discussions to develop communication in the
community on human relations issues.