Yesterday, during its agenda review, Pensacola City Council (via hero Councilman Brian Spencer) scheduled a hearing on a human rights ordinance for the city, specifically highlighting gender identification and sexual orientation, and, basically, all other forms of being unfair; the ordinance also seeks to update housing discrimination limits already on the books. Hooray, Pensacola! Here’s the ACLU press release. More on this in next week’s Watermark.
PENSACOLA, FL – The Pensacola City Council has scheduled a vote on a Human Rights Ordinance that would prohibit discrimination in work and public accommodations based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status and other categories, as well as updates existing protections against housing discrimination.
At today’s agenda-setting meeting, the council placed the ordinance on the agenda for the council meeting on September 17. The ordinance is sponsored by Councilman Brian Spencer.
Responding to the announcement, Sara Latshaw, ACLU of Florida’s North Florida Regional Director stated:
“I am very pleased that the city council is considering this ordinance to create a city-wide anti-discrimination policy and demonstrate that ours is the kind of city that sees its citizens as its greatest strength.
This proposed ordinance would ensure that all hardworking people here in Pensacola have every opportunity to earn a living, have a place to live, and be free from fear of discrimination. Passing this ordinance would be a great reflection of the values of the people of Pensacola: that we believe in fairness, the dignity that comes with work, and that everyone should be treated fairly and equally by the law — period.
“I’d like to thank Councilman Spencer for his leadership on this issue, and look forward to working with all of the members of the city council to ensure that Pensacola joins countless other cities across the state and nation that have said that discrimination has no place within their borders.”
Keyontay Humphries, ACLU of Florida Northwest Regional Organizer, added:
“It’s hard to believe that none of these protections already existed in Pensacola. More than half of Floridians live in places that already have these protections and over 70% of voters across the state support these protections as well.
“This ordinance also has support among a strong coalition of people in Pensacola. They include faith leaders who believe that every person deserves the dignity and respect of being treated fairly by their neighbors and business leaders who know that businesses succeed when workers are judged by their work performance, not who they are.
“It’s time for Pensacola to prove that it is the kind of welcoming, modern city that sees the common worth in all its people. We encourage everyone who agrees to show up at Thursday’s meeting wearing red in support of the ordinance.”
