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Arlington, Texas
Arlington could remove “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation” from antidiscrimination protections next month.
A city in Texas has pushed back a vote to overturn antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people until next month
The Arlington City Council has delayed a vote on a revised ordinance that would remove “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation” as protected characteristics from the city's anti-discrimination policy. Mayor Jim Ross said that the city needs more time to examine the legal consequences.
Related: Texas city could be first in nation to rescind LGBTQ+ antidiscrimination protections
“We must balance the need to make modifications with the need to ensure that every single member of our community feels welcome, protected, respected, and is treated with dignity,” Ross said, via The Dallas Morning News.
Arlington's current antidiscrimination ordinance prohibits “any direct or indirect exclusion, distinction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or other differentiation in the treatment of a person or persons because of a race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The vote was originally intended for Tuesday, just one month after the council temporarily suspended the clause in September due to threats from Donald Trump's administration. Officials said they would revokc $65 million in federal grant money from the city if it did not remove language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its municipal code. Both Arlington and Fort Worth subsequently voted to end their DEI programs and rewrite ordinances to exclude phrases related to race and gender.
Related: Federal judge in Texas rules LGBTQ+ people can be discriminated against at work
Iowa removed gender identity from its state Civil Rights Act in February, making it the first state in the country to take away rights from a group previously protected in law. If the ordinance in Arlington passes, it would be the first individual city to do so.
The Arlington City Council has scheduled the new vote on the ordinance for November 18. Arlington Pride has called on residents to attend the City Council meeting if they wish to voice their opposition.
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