fforts to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Indiana's civil rights code failed during the current session of the Indiana General Assembly, but several communities in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere across the state aren't waiting for the state.
It's been a lengthy but rewarding process for members of the group known as We Are Munster, as publicizing the effort has brought out more people in support of the idea.
Munster resident Amy Sandler started the ball rolling last spring when she brought up the idea during a Town Council meeting. Sandler and her late wife, Niki Quasney, were instrumental in getting the state's same-sex marriage ban overturned in federal court in 2014. Her speech wound up on YouTube, and the ensuing publicity helped inspire Munster residents, including Paul Rotatori and Ann Bochnowski, to get involved in the effort.
"I was just furious that the town was dragging its feet, and a nondiscrimination ordinance seemed to make perfect sense," Rotatori said. "After RFRA (Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act), it was a fantastic opportunity for Munster to differentiate itself and show that it is a welcoming community."
Indiana lawmakers move to repeal part of religious objections law, but critics say not enough
Tribune wire reports
Ever since Indiana drew widespread and mostly negative attention last year for a controversial religious objections law, Republican legislative leaders have sought a way to add LGBT civil rights protections into state law while also carving out exemptions for people with sincerely held religious...
Ever since Indiana drew widespread and mostly negative attention last year for a controversial religious objections law, Republican legislative leaders have sought a way to add LGBT civil rights protections into state law while also carving out exemptions for people with sincerely held religious...
(Tribune wire reports)
The ordinance will come up for a second and final reading at the Town Council's April 18 meeting and is similar to one passed in Carmel last year. It exempts churches, private clubs and other religious-affiliated institutions.
If it is approved, Munster would become the third community locally, following Hammond and Michigan City. The Lake County Council passed an LGBT protection ordinance last May.
Statewide, 18 Indiana communities have human-rights ordinances, including Indianapolis, South Bend and Ft. Wayne. Many of the communities passed the ordinances in the wake of the national criticism that rained down upon the state after the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, which many perceived as giving business owners a license to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender citizens.
Bochnowski said she understands why the council may not have thought to consider such an ordinance before Sandler's speech.
"The council is usually worried about keeping things clean, garbage pickup, basic needs of the community, so I really do not want to criticize them," Bochnowski said.
Munster votes for human rights law; asks for legal opinion
Jim Masters
The Munster Town Council took a step toward protecting people against all forms of discrimination by passing a human rights ordinance on first reading Monday.
Although the ordinance could have been formally adopted that night, council members have legal questions over its language and want more...
The Munster Town Council took a step toward protecting people against all forms of discrimination by passing a human rights ordinance on first reading Monday.
Although the ordinance could have been formally adopted that night, council members have legal questions over its language and want more...
(Jim Masters)
"Honestly, for me it was not something that I had thought about, but I jumped right on it. There should be nobody in this country that should have their rights abridged."
Freedom Indiana, which has lobbied hard for statewide LGBT protections, has assisted local communities when they indicate a desire to craft a human-rights ordinance. Spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner stressed that Freedom Indiana doesn't actively lobby for local ordinances but waits for local residents to make a push.
"We see that people in their communities know what's good for the residents," Wagner said.
Hammond was one of the first local communities to pass an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance on April 13, 2015. Its ordinance includes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes and empowers the Hammond Human Relations Commission to investigate, hear complaints, enter into consent decrees and seek judicial enforcement.
Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the ordinance passed unanimously and without much opposition.
"Things don't often pass unanimously on the council," McDermott said. "The late Councilwoman JoAnn Matonovich was an advocate for same-sex couples who worked for the city to receive benefits about five years before RFRA came up.
"Obviously, we're part of the Chicagoland area, and if same-sex couples want to live here, we want them to know that they're welcome."
McDermott said the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
"We've had people from all over the country reach out to us and congratulate us for being forward-thinking," McDermott said. "After RFRA, we wanted to be on record: That's not how we operate in Hammond."
Most communities don't have human-rights ordinances specifically protecting LBGT citizens, but several cities do have protections in other parts of the municipal code. Griffith, for example, adopted language in its employee handbook in 2014.
Gary recently added sexual orientation and gender identity to language concerning public-housing discrimination, so it can continue to receive federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Gary spokesperson LaLosa Burns said the city does not have any current ordinances that address LGBT nondiscrimination, and "we have not had any discussions" on a proposed ordinance, she wrote in an email.
Valparaiso's Advisory Human Relations Council is researching a possible ordinance and gathering input, according to Lori Good, executive assistant to Mayor Jon Costas. An ordinance may be presented in the coming months, she said.
"Jon Costas is the kind of mayor who is forward-thinking and a good businessman," McDermott said. "I would not be surprised to see that happen in Valparaiso."
Future for LGBT rights statewide
The measure that was under consideration by the Indiana General Assembly this year would have prohibited the state from taking action against groups that don't abide by the protections.
"The ironic thing about that bill (Senate Bill 100) is when you talk to Republicans, they are usually concerned about national encroachment, but they have no difficulty getting involved in local communities' affairs," McDermott said. "I'm real encouraged by what's happening in Munster. It's showing the state of Indiana that this is the way we need to do business and we can't discriminate."
McDermott said that if 2016 hadn't been an election year, there might have been something done about LGBT nondiscrimination at the state level.
"I think that Republicans believe that by doing nothing, that's the best option they have," McDermott said. "Unfortunately, they're not guaranteeing that LGBT residents can't be discriminated against. My guess is next year, there will be a successful effort."
While Freedom Indiana is encouraged by local moves to protect LGBT rights, patchwork protections are less than ideal for Indiana residents, Wagner said.
"It's wonderful to have local protections, but if you are a LGBT person in Marion County, you're fine, but if you drive south 10 miles to Johnson County, you may not have those protections," Wagner said. "Statewide protections are still the goal."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...gbt-ordinance-nwi-st-0306-20160305-story.html
It's been a lengthy but rewarding process for members of the group known as We Are Munster, as publicizing the effort has brought out more people in support of the idea.
Munster resident Amy Sandler started the ball rolling last spring when she brought up the idea during a Town Council meeting. Sandler and her late wife, Niki Quasney, were instrumental in getting the state's same-sex marriage ban overturned in federal court in 2014. Her speech wound up on YouTube, and the ensuing publicity helped inspire Munster residents, including Paul Rotatori and Ann Bochnowski, to get involved in the effort.
"I was just furious that the town was dragging its feet, and a nondiscrimination ordinance seemed to make perfect sense," Rotatori said. "After RFRA (Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act), it was a fantastic opportunity for Munster to differentiate itself and show that it is a welcoming community."
Indiana lawmakers move to repeal part of religious objections law, but critics say not enough
Tribune wire reports
Ever since Indiana drew widespread and mostly negative attention last year for a controversial religious objections law, Republican legislative leaders have sought a way to add LGBT civil rights protections into state law while also carving out exemptions for people with sincerely held religious...
Ever since Indiana drew widespread and mostly negative attention last year for a controversial religious objections law, Republican legislative leaders have sought a way to add LGBT civil rights protections into state law while also carving out exemptions for people with sincerely held religious...
(Tribune wire reports)
The ordinance will come up for a second and final reading at the Town Council's April 18 meeting and is similar to one passed in Carmel last year. It exempts churches, private clubs and other religious-affiliated institutions.
If it is approved, Munster would become the third community locally, following Hammond and Michigan City. The Lake County Council passed an LGBT protection ordinance last May.
Statewide, 18 Indiana communities have human-rights ordinances, including Indianapolis, South Bend and Ft. Wayne. Many of the communities passed the ordinances in the wake of the national criticism that rained down upon the state after the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, which many perceived as giving business owners a license to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender citizens.
Bochnowski said she understands why the council may not have thought to consider such an ordinance before Sandler's speech.
"The council is usually worried about keeping things clean, garbage pickup, basic needs of the community, so I really do not want to criticize them," Bochnowski said.
Munster votes for human rights law; asks for legal opinion
Jim Masters
The Munster Town Council took a step toward protecting people against all forms of discrimination by passing a human rights ordinance on first reading Monday.
Although the ordinance could have been formally adopted that night, council members have legal questions over its language and want more...
The Munster Town Council took a step toward protecting people against all forms of discrimination by passing a human rights ordinance on first reading Monday.
Although the ordinance could have been formally adopted that night, council members have legal questions over its language and want more...
(Jim Masters)
"Honestly, for me it was not something that I had thought about, but I jumped right on it. There should be nobody in this country that should have their rights abridged."
Freedom Indiana, which has lobbied hard for statewide LGBT protections, has assisted local communities when they indicate a desire to craft a human-rights ordinance. Spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner stressed that Freedom Indiana doesn't actively lobby for local ordinances but waits for local residents to make a push.
"We see that people in their communities know what's good for the residents," Wagner said.
Hammond was one of the first local communities to pass an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance on April 13, 2015. Its ordinance includes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes and empowers the Hammond Human Relations Commission to investigate, hear complaints, enter into consent decrees and seek judicial enforcement.
Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the ordinance passed unanimously and without much opposition.
"Things don't often pass unanimously on the council," McDermott said. "The late Councilwoman JoAnn Matonovich was an advocate for same-sex couples who worked for the city to receive benefits about five years before RFRA came up.
"Obviously, we're part of the Chicagoland area, and if same-sex couples want to live here, we want them to know that they're welcome."
McDermott said the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
"We've had people from all over the country reach out to us and congratulate us for being forward-thinking," McDermott said. "After RFRA, we wanted to be on record: That's not how we operate in Hammond."
Most communities don't have human-rights ordinances specifically protecting LBGT citizens, but several cities do have protections in other parts of the municipal code. Griffith, for example, adopted language in its employee handbook in 2014.
Gary recently added sexual orientation and gender identity to language concerning public-housing discrimination, so it can continue to receive federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Gary spokesperson LaLosa Burns said the city does not have any current ordinances that address LGBT nondiscrimination, and "we have not had any discussions" on a proposed ordinance, she wrote in an email.
Valparaiso's Advisory Human Relations Council is researching a possible ordinance and gathering input, according to Lori Good, executive assistant to Mayor Jon Costas. An ordinance may be presented in the coming months, she said.
"Jon Costas is the kind of mayor who is forward-thinking and a good businessman," McDermott said. "I would not be surprised to see that happen in Valparaiso."
Future for LGBT rights statewide
The measure that was under consideration by the Indiana General Assembly this year would have prohibited the state from taking action against groups that don't abide by the protections.
"The ironic thing about that bill (Senate Bill 100) is when you talk to Republicans, they are usually concerned about national encroachment, but they have no difficulty getting involved in local communities' affairs," McDermott said. "I'm real encouraged by what's happening in Munster. It's showing the state of Indiana that this is the way we need to do business and we can't discriminate."
McDermott said that if 2016 hadn't been an election year, there might have been something done about LGBT nondiscrimination at the state level.
"I think that Republicans believe that by doing nothing, that's the best option they have," McDermott said. "Unfortunately, they're not guaranteeing that LGBT residents can't be discriminated against. My guess is next year, there will be a successful effort."
While Freedom Indiana is encouraged by local moves to protect LGBT rights, patchwork protections are less than ideal for Indiana residents, Wagner said.
"It's wonderful to have local protections, but if you are a LGBT person in Marion County, you're fine, but if you drive south 10 miles to Johnson County, you may not have those protections," Wagner said. "Statewide protections are still the goal."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...gbt-ordinance-nwi-st-0306-20160305-story.html
