Charlotte "bathroom bill" passes 7-4

Published February 23, 2016

by WBTV, February 23, 2016.

Charlotte's proposed non-discrimination ordinance, dubbed by some as the "bathroom bill," passed Monday night with a vote of 7-to-4.

The ordinance, which will take effect April 1, expands legal protection against discrimination in public accommodations for members of the gay community. Businesses cannot refuse service that others members of the public will have.

Passenger for hire vehicles cannot refuse to transport people because of their sexual orientation.

The ordinance will allow transgender individuals to use the rest rooms of the gender of which they identify.

Council members Austin, Autry, Kinsey, Eiselt, Mitchell, Mayfield, and Mayor Pro Tem Lyles voted in favor of the ordinance.

Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who does not vote, also supported it.

Council members Driggs, Fallon, Phipps, and Smith voted against the ordinance.

Driggs said he doesn't believe there's a discrimination or safety issue for the LGBT community in Charlotte. He said opponents were ignored.

"The people in state government are not with us," he said. "The state in which we live, people in the state are not with us on this thing."

Fallon told her colleagues she could not support the bathroom section of the ordinance. She also believes opponents were not heard. Fallon said Monday's night meeting was not fair. She believes the public still doesn't understand the ordinance and said " I will not impose my will on other people."

Meanwhile, Council member Smith whose father passed away Sunday night still showed up Monday to vote no. He told the crowd he's against the ordinance because "I share the common sense of Charlotte voters."

Supporters said the ordinance is about equality and protecting all Charlotte residents.

Council member Austin told his colleagues that the world is watching Charlotte, and this time it's not for the Panthers. Austin said people wanted to see what kind of world class city is Charlotte.

Before publicly stating his yes vote, Austin said the "LGBT community is not going anywhere and not living in the shadows."

Autry said he's "comfortable with the language of the ordinance."

Kinsey told the crowd "We are all God's children" and "equal in God's eyes." She said she has many friends in the LGBT community so she was voting yes.

Council member Eiselt was not happy with some of the condemnation she heard from the crowd, many of whom quoted scripture. She said "if this were a Church, I would not return."

Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles said "I truly believe this ordinance is about treating people with respect and dignity." She added, "I support this ordinance because I'm committed to this community."

"I'm not a fan of the word discrimination," Council member Mitchell said. "I will be supporting the ordinance because I think it make Charlotte better."

For Council member Mayfield, the vote was about "all laws created to protect minority communities." She said she was "looking forward to the day when this much energy" is spent to eradicate poverty, homelessness, and educational disparity.

Before the vote, nearly 140 speakers passionately addressed Charlotte City Council members at the meeting. Many were in favor of the non-discrimination ordinance passing and many opposed.

Officials with the local ACLU sent out a release applauding the ordinance's passing.

"Tonight the Charlotte City Council voted to expand the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression," the ACLU's statement read. "Among other things, the ordinance means that businesses open to the public – including public restrooms, taxi services, hotels and other public lodging – must provide equal treatment and access to people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender."

Some at the meeting disagreed.

“Real discrimination happened at a lunch counter in Greensboro in 1960. Discrimination is based on genetics, not personal choices,” Jeanette Wilson said.

“The opposition believes these protections are not necessary only because they do not experience it. We are all worthy of respect and dignity,” Crystal Richardson said.

Speakers were given one minute each to share their opinions and were asked by Jennifer Roberts to keep their comments “appropriate”. But the comments did get heated at times.

“It is not discrimination to say if you have a penis you use this bathroom, if you have a vagina, you use this bathroom, it would only be discrimination to say you couldn’t use either,” Kristin McCora said.

The crowd was quick to applaud the comments they supported, despite requests by the mayor to stay quiet. One man was even asked by Roberts to leave the chambers.

Juli Ghazi was just one of the transgender individuals who pleaded with the council to vote yes.

“They are afraid that I, or people like me are going to victimize children. This idea is opposite to the reality I live in... If I were to walk in a men’s bathroom, I would either be told I’m in the wrong bathroom or be outed as a transgender woman,” Ghazi said.

Battle lines were defined hours before the council voted on the ordinance. Outside of the government center, supporters of the proposed nondiscrimination bill delivered boxes with the names and local congregations backing the ordinance. They were delivered to the mayor's office before 11 a.m.

A group calling itself the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice said the beliefs of critics were rooted in fear.

Matt Hirschy is with Advancement for Equality in NC, and was among those carrying the boxes.

"What we've seen is a portrayal of this narrative that this somehow opens folks up to let sexual predators into rest rooms or what have you. In fact this does quite the opposite,“ he said.

David Jordan showed up early to provide an opposing view. Jordan told reporters, “That is a danger to our children, a danger to society, and it's just a further step of what this nation was built on."

Mayor Jennifer Roberts favored the passage of the bathroom bill.

"We think it's not right to discriminate,“ Roberts said early Monday. "We think discrimination is not good for business, good for the future of our city. Two hundred and twenty five cities and counties across the country already have this in place."

The governor’s office has also weighed in, saying the state could take action if the ordinance is passed. Officials have not yet said if they will take action.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/31282120/charlotte-non-discrimination-ordinance-passes-7-4