Cleveland City Council Votes Unanimously To Protect Against Transgender Discrimination

[Paula ult]

I live in a suburb of Cleveland but this is a great step forward.

Cleveland City Council Votes Unanimously to Protect Against Transgender Discrimination

Article Added November 25th, 2009

Cleveland City Council passed, with a unanimous vote, legislation that would protect against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity and expression at tonight’s City Council meeting.

Councilman Joe Santiago introduced the legislation in August of 2008. After careful review from the City Law Department, the legislation was brought before Council for a vote at the regularly scheduled Monday night meeting.

This legislation will protect transgendered individuals from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Preliminary findings from the 2009 National Transgender Discrimination Survey completed by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce report that Transgendered individuals are unemployed at twice the national average. Nearly all (97%) of respondents have been harassed on the job and 42% have an annual income of $20,000 or less.

“I am thrilled with the unanimous vote against discrimination in any form,” states Sue Doerfer, Executive Director of The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

A coalition of organizations and individuals has worked closely with Cleveland City Council to move this legislation forward. The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, Transfamily, Stonewall Democrats, Equality Ohio, and the ACLU are among the groups that have collaborated.

Paula

[Guest Donna Jean]

AWwww...that sux!

NO!....NO! WAIT....That's great!

It's just that I used to live in Cleveland and now I live in a place with no protections at all...

That's the "sux" part!

Paula, does that extend to where you live or is it just Cleveland proper?

Either way, it is good news...Baby steps...baby steps!

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Carolyn Marie]

Excellent news! Thanks for sharing that, Paula.

Making progress one city at a time.

Carolyn Marie

[Paula ult]

We live in Cuyahoga county, this covers only the city of Cleveland, it does not cover us yet, hopefully soon.

Paula

[Guest Jean Davis]

Hey Paula

Ship those Council members over here to Wisconsin so they can do the same here.

We'll put them on tour just like a Rock Band.

LUV

Jean