BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a public hearing and over five years of groundwork, the Birmingham City Council has passed a fully inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance, and Mayor William Bell has committed to signing the ordinance into law immediately.
The ordinance passed unanimously on a vote of 7-0. Council Members Kim Rafferty and William Parker were not present
“Today is a monumental victory for everyone who lives and works in Birmingham who are now fully protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Before this ordinance was passed, you could get married on Saturday then on Monday be fired from your job, evicted from your home, or denied service because you’re LGBTQ,” said Alex Smith, executive director of Equality Alabama. “No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or whom they love, and Birmingham took action today to ensure that.”
“Today is a great day to be from Birmingham,” said Fran Hutchins, Deputy Director of Equality Federation. “I’m so proud of Equality Alabama and their partners on the ground to make this important policy possible.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) hailed the Birmingham City Council for passing the non-discrimination ordinance calling it a history-making event.
“Today, the City of Birmingham made history in Alabama by taking a crucial step toward ensuring LGBTQ residents are protected from discrimination,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “In doing so, Birmingham joins Jackson and Magnolia, Mississippi in setting an example for cities across the South to follow. Now, it is time for all southern cities to guarantee the right of LGBTQ people to live their lives free from discrimination.”
“Today is a proud day for Birmingham, now the first city in Alabama to pass a non-discrimination ordinance that protects the LGBTQ community,” said Eva Kendrick, HRC Alabama state director. “Now it is time for other cities in Alabama to follow Birmingham’s lead in protecting all its people from bias and discrimination. Thank you to Council President Austin for his leadership in championing this ordinance and our partners Michael Hansen, Equality Alabama and Alabama Stonewall Democrats for their years of work to secure this victory for all of Birmingham. We look forward to the mayor signing this important ordinance into law.”
Birmingham now joins more than 200 counties and cities in the United States that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Our neighbors in Jackson, MS, passed a fully inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance over a year ago. In Alabama, both Huntsville and Mobile have human rights commissions, and Montevallo is poised to pass nondiscrimination protections for its LGBTQ citizens.
“Doing the right thing doesn’t take courage; it takes action. Drawing from its roots as the birthplace of the civil rights movement, Birmingham took decisive action today to ensure everyone is treated fairly regardless of real or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status,” Smith said. “Having this ordinance in place sends a clear message that Birmingham is a fair, inclusive, welcoming city. Though first and foremost this ordinance is a victory for the people, it will also prove to be a boon for Birmingham’s business interests. A city protected from discrimination is a city that competes and is open for business.”
