Tuesday, August 24, 2010
News Fullilove Withdraws Non-Discrimination Ordinance & Resolution
Posted by Bianca Phillips on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Both the proposed ordinance protecting LGBT city workers and the proposed resolution protecting LGBT employees of companies who contract with the city have been withdrawn from the city council agenda today, upon the request of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP).
TEP Shelby County Committee vice-chair Michelle Bliss asked ordinance sponsor councilperson Janis Fullilove and other members of the council's personnel committee to remove the resolution this morning. TEP will also ask to remove the ordinance tonight at the full council meeting. The ordinance was scheduled for its second reading today.
Bliss told council members that TEP fears it will not get a fair hearing on the ordinance or resolution based on the way some council members treated the non-discrimination ordiance on its first reading at the last council meeting on August 10th. At that meeting, councilperson Barbara Swearengen Ware asked to pull the ordinance from the consent agenda to be discussed separately. Also at that meeting, councilperson Bill Morrison attempted to introduce a substitute ordinance that removed the words "sexual orientation," "gender identity," and "gender expression."
TEP Shelby County Committee chair Jonathan Cole said the organization will attempt to propose the ordinance again at a later date.
For more on this story, read my full report in the print edition of the Memphis Flyer on Wednesday.
Comments (29)
Showing 1-29 of 29
I'm so sorry, y'all. That's a big old bummer. I'm glad, though, that you are going to wait until you can get a fair hearing instead of pushing ahead when it's clear that there are too many forces working against equality.
like
dislikeTEP had better not do what HRC did and remove Gender Expression/Identity to the ordinance or there will be riots in the streets.
Count,
TEP is committed to a fully inclusive ordinance, and we will fight for the rights of the entire LGBT community and the straight community to be free from discrimination in the workplace based on real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Michelle Bliss
Vice Chair, TEP Shelby County Committee
Barb is immensely fond of collecting last names, as well as power, money, and making sure her husband gets promoted at the FD. Outside of that she could care less.
BSW loves the idea of I-40 running through overton park. I actually heard her say as much in a recent city council meeting. Sheesh, talk about a leader lacking vision.
Let's face it GBLT folks. Memphis doesn't want us to contribute to it's economy. We all need to get the hell out of this sinkhole of a city and go to a more progressive place with real leaders. AC's silence speaks volumes. The majority of "leaders" of this city - esp. the non-drunk African-American leaders - only see one kind of "diversity" and that is racial. If you have a different orientation or religion, then you are SOL in this backwater town.
Are you all 'discriminating' against Fullilove now just because she understands the Constitutional rights of association and property? Discrimination works both ways it seems.
CHG, you mean hyphenated Holt, not Fullilove. It seems you don't understand the difference between discrimination and criticism, from which no one is, nor should be, protected.
And here's Wharton's pitiful (in my opinion) response:
"Given the events that transpired today in the Personnel, Intergovernmental & Annexation Committee of the Memphis City Council, it is necessary to clarify my position on their proposed non-discrimination ordinance.
Allow me to be clear: throughout my career in public service, most recently as Shelby County Mayor when this same issue was under discussion by the County Commission, I have stated that I believe governments should focus on merit and merit alone in their hiring and purchasing policies. My vision is for Memphis to be a city of choice for all people. Our city's success will require all individuals, regardless of their differences, to work together toward a shared prosperous future.
Over the past several weeks, I have watched with great interest to see what direction the City Council will take. This discussion originated with them and will conclude with them. I will abide by my duty to support whatever actions they take. My hope is that they proceed in a way that aligns with our values of inclusiveness and non-discrimination.
My beliefs or views on the subject have been clear and consistent throughout my entire life. I will not permit them to be mischaracterized by any group, individual, or elected body who seek a convenient excuse to avoid the issue now that it is at hand."
Link: http://bit.ly/9PViA2
Wharton makes it clear that he's clearly not taking a position on this.
Thanks for the criticism, packrat, you know that that oppression, repression and depression are the source of all good things rhythmic, melodic and gastric in this town.
Thank you Jonathan Cole & Michelle Bliss (TEP) for your tireless efforts and everyone that supported TEP by showing up at City Hall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc
This city has seen change. It knows what needs to be done more than any other city. It takes a peaceful, organized, well represented community to stand tall and often, shoulder to shoulder.
“My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you.” Harvey Milk
“I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad, or frustrated. I can only hope that they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that two, three, four, five hundred will step forward, so the gay doctors will come out, the gay lawyers, the gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects … I hope that every professional gay will say ‘enough’, come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help.” Harvey Milk, 1978
“I fully realize that a person who stands for what I stand for, an activist, a gay activist, becomes the target or the potential target for a person who is insecure, terrified, afraid, or very disturbed with themselves.” Harvey Milk, on a tape he made to be played in the event of his assassination
“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” Harvey Milk
“The fact is that more people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason. That, that my friends, is true perversion..” Harvey Milk
“I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you… And you… And you… Gotta give em hope.” Harvey Milk
“All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.” Harvey Milk
“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” Harvey Milk
“It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.” Harvey Milk, in a 1973 speech during his first unsuccessful run for supervisor
“All over the country, they’re reading about me, and the story doesn’t center on me being gay. It’s just about a gay person who is doing his job.” Harvey Milk
“I have tasted freedom. I will not give up that which I have tasted. I have a lot more to drink. For that reason, the political numbers game will be played. I know the rules of their game now and how to play it.” Harvey Milk
We are coming out to tell the truths about gays, for I am tired of the conspiracy of silence, so I'm going to talk about it. And I want you to talk about it.
- From the "Hope Speech" (as delivered in late 1978)
We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets.
- From the "Hope Speech" (as delivered in late 1978)
You can stand around and throw bricks at Silly Hall or you can take it over. Well, here we are.
- Before being sworn in as San Franciso Supervisor (8 January 1978)
Memphis LGBT community:
Equality, that is what this is all about. Support TEP with your time, wisdom, leadership, donations, and involvement.
Every person counts. So, stand up and be counted
So isn't Babs area she represents Cooper Young ? Sounds like when she comes up for election she needs to get voted out. I hate biggots !!!!! And yes, they come in ALL colors. What next, no Mosque or Temples in midtown ?
Reasonable people support the "right" to build a mosque in Midtown, it's just that it would be too upsetting so soon (only 9 years) after 9/11 and so close (1000 miles) to America's sacred Ground Zero. It would just stab hearts. Just like passing an ordinance protecting gay people from discrimination; it would stab STeve Gaines' heart, and by proxy, the bleeding heart of Jesus.
No a mosque in midtown would be fine, just don't try to build one across the street from Bellevue Baptist. Neighborhood residents' rights are all determined by which neighborhood they live.
Merc, "Bellevue" Baptist fled Midtown long ago. They now hang at several mega-plex acres in Cordova, off Germantown Parkway.
Sorry, I guess I should have punctuated better. That was the intent of my message... It would be fine to build a mosque in midtown, but if they tried to build one out next to the Six Flags Over Jesus complex it would be like the end of the world. Their protests would make out do the row over CVS and Overton Square put together x 100.
I hope y'all will help out and donate some money to help support the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Roller Coaster and Left Behind Bungee Jump that are going to be built to fund the I Used to Be Gay Museum and Definitely Not Pornography Gift Shop, the profits from which will be used for the Bibles for People Without Enough Bibles mission.
I'd be happy to donate something to an auction, something made from an androgenous local tree species maybe. Maybe a nicely hand hewn crucifix or somesuch.
Looks like I picked a good week to get the fuck out of Memphis. How utterly disappointing.
Barbara Swearengen Jingleheimer Schmidt Ware, you are a small person.
Yes indeed, those damn self-pollinating tree species really undermine traditional gender roles scott; get some good old American hollies, they're more in line with God's plan since they're either male or female, not both like all the liberal androgenous trees.
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