(Louisville, Kentucky) Louisville city council has rejected a campaign that vilified gays and passed a civil rights ordinance that includes a ban on discrimination based on gender identity and sexualorientation.Following an often heated two-hour debate Metro Council voted 19-6 topass the measure.The ordinance mirrors the old Jefferson County civil-rights ordinance,which has been in place since 1999. Under the city-county merger, alllaws carried forward from Jefferson County and the old city ofLouisville must be re-enacted by the end of 2007 or will be strickenfrom the books.Opening up the ordinance for reconsideration gave conservative lobbygroups, who failed in a bid five years ago to kill the law when it wasoriginally brought up, a new opportunity to defeat the measure.Four proposed amendments were defeated, including one that would'vesent the proposed ordinance to the voters.The ordinance prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion,national origin, family status, age, disability, sex, gender identityor sexual orientation in hiring, housing and accommodations.In the days leading up to Thursday night's vote conservative groupsmounted an aggressive campaign labeling the ordinance "unchristian".(story)
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Mailboxes throughout the city were filled with flyers and leaflets telling people to pressure
their council members to vote against themeasure.The majority of the material was sent by
the Evangel World PrayerCenter that claimed teachers would be forced to give classes in gay sex.The mailings claim that the proposal also would require employers to"hire someone just because of their sexual behavior.""My eyes have been opened that bigotry, discrimination, anger andhatred run rampant in this city," said Metro Council member MadonnaFlood. "It should not be tolerated by any of us."Mayor Jerry Abramson said he will sign the ordinance.©365Gay.com 2004
