A measure proposed by Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid that extends employment discrimination protection in city offices to gay people passed Tuesday by a 7-2 vote. The Oklahoman reports that the measure adds “sexual orientation” to the list of protected equal employment opportunity classes. Gay employees and job applicants already had de facto protection from employment discrimination, city staff said. In advocating for his measure, Shadid said his instinct as a businessman is to provide protection to everyone. He also said Scripture is too unclear and subjective to sway him. Shadid likened employment discrimination against gay people to efforts by Adolf Hitler to single out groups for discrimination in Nazi Germany. Ward 7 Councilman Skip Kelly, who is black, said that black Americans understand discrimination best, and that there's no discrimination against gay people in city offices. Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee pointed out that federal and state law don't provide explicit protection to gay people, and he also doesn't see a problem in Oklahoma City offices. Ward 4 Councilman Pete White said the measure is about fairness, and that he thinks gay people in Oklahoma City deserve employment protection. Ward 1 Councilman Gary Marrs pointed out firefighters and police officers respond to all emergencies and don't refuse to help someone based on their lifestyle. Kelly and McAtee cast the dissenting votes. Speakers from around the Oklahoma City area on both sides of the issue also made comments. Most speakers were from suburbs. Speakers against the measure generally cited religion in opposing it, along with a belief the measure goes too far in adding a class not protected by federal or state law. Speakers for the measure generally spoke of a desire for fairness and tolerance. Tom Vineyard, pastor at Windsor Hills Baptist Church, said half of all murders in large cities are committed by gay people.
Transgender individuals would win additional legal protections under a bill that could come up for a vote in the Massachusetts House this week. According to The Associated Press, transgender advocates have long pushed for the bill that would add "gender identity or expression" to the state's non-discrimination laws. Advocates said Monday that they expected the House to debate a version of the bill that would bar workplace discrimination against transgender people. Critics have said the bill will lead to a breakdown in privacy in restrooms, locker rooms and other single-gender facilities. Predictably, they have labelled the legislation the "bathroom bill" in radio ads opposing the measure, which they said would also cost businesses. Supporters said the public accommodations portion of the bill will be dropped to bolster support for the measure. Governor Deval Patrick has said he would sign the bill.
Catholic Charities announced Monday that it was ending its legal battle over Illinois' civil unions law and no longer was providing state-funded services. The Los Angeles Times reports that the move ends the group's long history in Illinois of providing foster care and adoptions. Catholic Charities held foster care contracts with the state for about four decades. The group had wished to continue its state contracts, while also referring unmarried couples who want to be adoptive or foster parents to other agencies, citing principles of religious liberty and freedom of conscience. The state of Illinois had said that long-standing practice is discriminatory, a violation of the new law, which allows unmarried couples — gay or straight — to legally enter into civil unions. In a statement Monday, diocese officials in Joliet, Springfield and Belleville said the decision was reached "with great reluctance." The Catholic Diocese of Peoria withdrew from the litigation last month. It became financially impossible for the remaining Roman Catholic agencies to continue and the courts had refused to grant a stay in the case, the officials said. "Since we now need to close offices and terminate employees, further appeals would be moot," said the statement from the three dioceses. Officials with the Thomas More Society, which represented Illinois Catholic Charities in the litigation, said the state was already cancelling its contracts and moving services to other agencies. Gay rights advocates called the decision a step forward. "Finding a loving home for the thousands of children in the foster/adoption system should be the priority, not trying to exclude people based on religious dogma," said Anthony Martinez of the Civil Rights Agenda, an Illinois gay rights group. "Dropping this suit is a step in the right direction for what is best for all the citizens of this great state."
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