Kalamazoo Keeps Antidiscrimination Ordinance

An antigay effort to rescind Kalamazoo, Mich.'s antidiscrimination ordinance failed by a wide margin on Tuesday after a campaign that attracted national attention.

According to reports, 65% of those turning out voted to uphold Ordinance 1856, which the city commission passed in June to protect against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Supporters of the antidiscrimination ordinance had out-fund-raised their antigay opponents, who have criticized the measure as "special rights on sexual behavior and cross-dressing" and have focused their repeal effort largely on the specter of "cross-dressing men" using women's bathrooms.