Fort Worth Bans Trans Discrimination

FORT WORTH X390 (PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM

The Fort Worth City Council voted 6-3 late Tuesday to expand its antidiscrimination ordinance to include transgender people, reports the Star-Telegram. The ordinance already forbids discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.

The vote comes after Fort Worth, Texas, officials appointed a task force to recommend ways to mend fences following a controversial inspection of a gay bar, the Rainbow Lounge, in June.

Tuesday’s vote dealt only with one facet of the litany of proposals brought before the city council. Other recommendations from the task force include offering domestic-partner benefits and expanding the city health insurance plan to cover gender-reassignment procedures, including sex changes.

Both gay rights advocates and conservative opponents attended the meeting.

According to the Star-Telegram, at one point the two sides sang competing hymns: "We Shall Overcome" from gay activists and "Amazing Grace" from religious protesters.

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Reader Comments

Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Ben
Date posted: 11/11/2009 5:51:43 PM
Hometown: NY

Comment:
Great! Maybe now they can also pass a law against cops walking into a gay bar and beating the shit out of random gay men!
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Corey Ann
Date posted: 11/11/2009 4:35:44 PM
Hometown: Ft Worth

Comment:
If they actually pass something GREAT. I am about to move back there from Alabama, and this would be a welcome relief knowing there's actually people working to make Ft Worth a safer place. As for those religious fanatics, OMG when will you ever shut up and let people have the rights they deserve... GLBT people are a part of humanity whether you like it or not and we will only increase in number, and you will have to deal with it one way or another.

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