Local

Charlotte City Council to again discuss nondiscrimination ordinance

By Jenna Deery
By Jenna Deery

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After pushing past a fight against citizens to stop toll roads, Channel 9 found out Charlotte's new City Council is taking on another major debate for a second time.

The council members are expected to start discussions with the community over a nondiscrimination ordinance pitched to them last spring by the Human Rights Campaign.

"We knew it was unresolved. We knew it would come back. The mayor made clear it was an early priority of hers," said Councilman Ed Driggs.

Read our past coverage:

The ordinance is meant to protect members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from being discriminated against when it comes to what bathroom people choose to use, where they work, eat or do business, along with what taxis they ride in.

Opponents of the ordinance focused on who it would allow into bathrooms, and raised safety concerns about people using protections in the ordinance to prey on women and children.

The nondiscrimination ordinance failed last year with a 6-5 vote even after the bathroom protections were removed. Some council members voted against it because they didn't want the ordinance changed.

Advocacy groups haven't said if they'll suggest any changes to get it passed. They may have enough votes this year with two new council members and Councilman Michael Barnes, who voted against it, off of council.

Before it gets to city leaders for a vote this time around, the city's Community Relations Committee plans to hold a series of community meetings to give everyone who has an opinion a chance to speak in advance, which is something council failed to do last time.

"People feel that they have been jammed. It's emotional. It's sensitive," Driggs said. "We need to talk respectively to each other and consider whether there are solutions that respond to their needs. I hope that we will slow down and get that outcome."

The first community meeting about the nondiscrimination ordinance is at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Palmer building in Elizabeth. Others still have to be scheduled.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

WSOC

Most Read