SHREVEPORT, La. — The Shreveport City Council has beaten back an attempt to undo a month-old Fairness Ordinance that prohibits discrimination in the public and private sector against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in jobs, housing and public accommodations.
PACE (People Acting for Change and Equality) of Shreveport and Forum for Equality, a statewide LGBT organization, who partnered to back the far-reaching antidiscrimination ordinance applauded the action in the Deep South city for uniting to oppose an attempt by one councilman to derail the city’s newly-passed Fairness Ordinance.
All six of the seven city council members who originally voted in favor of the far-reaching nondiscrimination measure Dec. 10 had pledged to uphold it, causing Councilmember Ron Webb to move to withdraw his proposed repeal.
The Fairness Ordinance protects all Shreveporters from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. It had bipartisan support from the council, was strongly endorsed by chambers of commerce and The Shreveport Times.
“PACE has been working hard on workplace fairness issues in Shreveport for LGBT people since its founding in 2005,” said Adrienne Critcher of PACE. “We are grateful to Forum for Equality who joined with PACE to support this work in 2012 through the Be Fair Shreveport campaign with funding from the State Equality Fund,” Critcher added.
Louisiana’as Forum for Equality Executive Director Sarah Jane Brady was optimistic that other elected officials follow the lead of Shreveport’s council.
“We hope other cities in Louisiana, as well as our state legislature, will be encouraged to join Shreveport in enacting laws that send a strong message that Louisiana does not discriminate but welcomes all who want to work hard and build a good life here. This is also a model for other cities in the South.”
Individuals and businesses can learn about the research, tools, and information to build a stronger and more supportive workplace by visiting www.BeFairShreveport.org.
