Audio By Carbonatix
Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio is trying to rally his ultra-right-wing conservative troops to oppose a policy proposal that aims protect individuals from discrimination because of their “sexual orientation,” “gender identity or expression,” and “disability.”
DiCiccio calls the proposal a “radical left turn for Phoenix.”
He attacks Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton for his support of the measure and for trying to “fast track” it.
The City Council is considering the proposal at 2:30 p.m. today at the Orpheum Theater (they’re expecting a big crowd), 203 W. Adams Street.
How radical can the idea of expanding discrimination protection for members of the LGBT community when it adopted in places such as Salt Lake City about three years with the support of the Mormon church and business community. And, versions of anti-discrimination laws that apply to the LGBT community are found in cities, counties and states across the country.
Tucson expanded its anti-discrimination law back in 1999.
And even though the Phoenix measure specifically states the “ordinances will continue to contain exemptions for religious organizations, small private landlords, senior housing, and private clubs, among others,” anti-discrimination opponents are firing up opposition on two fronts.
One, they claim the proposal is an assault on churches.
DiCiccio, in an official District 6 press release, claims to have “uncovered that it opens the door for criminal penalties against churches.”
He poses the questions: “Should our priests, pastors, rabbis and bishops and stake presidents be made criminals by the City of Phoenix? Do you think it is the role of our city to impose criminal penalties against churches?”
The Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative policy group, claims the exemption for churches and others are “weak” because it could “force a church or a parachurch organization, like a Christian school to hire homosexuals and transgenders regardless of the church’s religious beliefs.”
And if you’re not religiously inclined, opponents of the LGBT community amendments to the anti-discrmination measure have tried to block it by dubbing it the “Bathroom Bill.”
They are conjuring images of grown men disguising themselves as women and following little girls into restrooms.
Center for Arizona Policy — and DiCiccio as their echo chamber — warns parents that “there are no protections in this law to prohibit a predator from posing as a so-called “transgender” to gain access to a child through a restroom or locker room.”
DiCiccio is quoted in the Arizona Republic expressing his concerns as a father: “I’ve got two small kids and I just would not feel comfortable having a man following them in the bathroom. This bathroom thing is a problem.”
But it begs the question: Why would a parent so concerned about their child’s safety send “small kids” alone into the restroom?
The argument assumes that 1) women are not capable of doing harm to children they spot unaccompanied in a public restroom and 2) somehow little boys alone in a men’s restroom with grown men wearing men’s clothes are perfectly safe — it’s only the little girls we should worry about.
Nutty.
Here’s a list of cities, counties, states that, according to the Phoenix Mayor’s Office, have adopted anti-discrimination measure that include a person’s sexual orientation, and the year those proposals were first approved.
If anything, it begs the question why it has taken Phoenix so long to adopt such protections for members of the LBGT community and individuals with disabilities.
Full list:
Arizona
City of Tucson-1999
California -also state law
Allegheny County-2009
Santa Cruz County-1998
City of Los Angeles-1979
City of Oakland-2005
City of San Diego-2003
City of San Francisco-1994
City of San Jose-2002
City of Santa Cruz-1992
City of West Hollywood-1998
Connecticut – state law
Colorado
City of Boulder-2000
City of Denver-2001
District of Columbia
City of Washington-2006
Florida
Broward County-2008
Leon County-2010
Monroe County-2003
Palm Beach County-2007
Volusia County-2011
City of Dunedin-2002
City of Gainesville-2008
City of Gulfport-2005
City of Key West-2003
City of Lake Worth-2007
City of Miami Beach-2004
City of Oakland Park-2007
City of Tampa-2009
City of West Palm Beach-2007
Georgia
City of Atlanta-2000
City of Decatur-2002
Hawaii – state law
Idaho
City of Sandpoint-2011
Illinois
Cook County-2002
City of Bloomington-2002
City of Carbondale-2005
City of Champaign-1977
City of Chicago-2002
City of Decatur-2002
City of DeKalb-2000
City of Evanston-1997
City of Peoria-2003
City of Springfield-2003
City of Urbana-1979
Indiana
Marion County-2005
Monroe County-2010
City of Bloomington-2006
City of Evansville-2011
City of Indianapolis-2005
City of South Bend-2012
Iowa
Johnson County-2006
City of Council Bluffs-2008
City of IowaCity-1995
City of Waterloo-2007
Kansas
City of Lawrence-2011
Kentucky
Jefferson County-1999
Lexington-Fayette County-1999
City of Covington-2003
City of Louisville-1999
Louisiana
City of New Orleans-1998
Massachusetts – also state law
City of Boston-2002
City of Cambridge-1997
City of Northampton-2005
Maryland – also state law
Howard County-2011
Montgomery County-2007
City of Baltimore-2002
Michigan
Saugatuck Township 2007
City of Ann Arbor-1999
City of Detroit-2008
City of East Lansing-2005
City of Ferndale-2006
City of Grand Rapids-1994
City of Huntington Woods-2002
City of Kalamazoo-2009
City of Lansing-2006
City of Saugatuck-2007
City of Traverse-2011
City of Ypsilanti-1997
Minnesota – also state law
City of Minneapolis-1975
City of St. Paul-1990
Missouri
City of Clayton-2011
City of Columbia-2011
City of KansasCity-2008
City of Olivette-2011
City of St. Louis-2010
City of UniversityCity-2005
Montana
City of Missoula-2010
Nebraska
City of Omaha-2012
New Hampshire – state law
New Jersey – state law
New Mexico – state law
New York
Suffolk County-2001
Tompkins County-2005
City of Albany-2004
City of Buffalo-2002
City of Ithaca-2003
City of New York-2002
City of Rochester-2001
Ohio
Summit County-2009
City of Akron-2009
City of Bowling Green-2008
City of Cincinnati-2006
City of Cleveland-2009
City of Columbus-2008
City of Dayton-2007
City of Oxford-2008
City of Toledo-1998
Village of Yellow Springs-2009
Oregon
Benton County-1998
Multnomah County-2001
City of Beaverton-2004
City of Bend-2004
City of Corvallis-2007
City of Hillsboro-2006
City of Lake Oswego-2005
City of LincolnCity-2005
City of Portland-2000
City of Salem-2002
Pennsylvania
Erie County-2002
Haverford Township-2011
Lower Marion Township-2011
Springfield Township-2011
Susquehanna Township-2011
Whitemarsh Township-2011
Jenkinstown Borough-2011
Lansdowne Borough-2006
New Hope Borough-2002
Newton Borough-2011
State College Borough-2007
West Chester Borough-2006
City of Allentown-2002
City of Bethlehem-2011
City of Doylestown-2011
City of Easton-2006
City of Harrisburg-1983
City of Philadelphia-2002
City of Pittsburgh-1997
City of Scranton-2005
City of Swarthmore-2006
City of York-1998
Rhode Island – state law
South Carolina
City of Charleston-2009
City of Columbia-2008
Texas
Dallas County-2011
City of Austin-2004
City of Dallas-2002
City of El Paso-2003
City of Fort Worth-2009
Utah
Grand County-2010
Salt Lake County-2010
Summit County-2010
City of Alta-2011
City of Harrisville-2012
City of Logan-2010
City of Park City-2010
City of Salt Lake-2009
City of Springdale-2012
City of West Valley-2010
City of Midvale-2011
City of Moab-2011
City of Murray-2011
City of Ogden-2011
City of Taylorsville-2010
Vermont – state law
Washington
King County-2006
City of Burien-2005
City of Olympia-2005
City of Seattle-1986
City of Tacoma-2002
Wisconsin – also state law
Dane County-2001
City of Madison-2000
City of Milwaukee-2007
West Virginia
City of Charleston-2007
