Posted on 11/19/2009 12:25:27 PM PST by markomalley
TAMPA -- Men who live as women, women living as men, clergy members, mothers and grandparents packed the Tampa City Council chambers Thursday to debate a new ordinance that would protect transgender people from discrimination.
Some argued that it was good for business and simply right to approve the law. Others spoke of religion and contended that the rule would give a stamp of approval to sexual deviants.
Donna Kuntz read Bible passages about God abandoning people who do "shameful things," and said sexual predators are probably celebrating.
"They can have access to whichever gender of children they choose," she said. "You're giving credibility and recognition to a behavior that is sinful."
After two hours of testimony, the ordinance passed by a 5-1 vote with Charlie Miranda voting no and Linda Saul-Sena absent.
During discussions of the issue, Miranda repeatedly raised concerns about disruptions caused by people who come to work one day dressed as one gender, and the next day dressed as the other.
The new rule prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on "gender identity and expression," with that defined as someone who has an "inner sense of being a specific gender" regardless of their "assigned sex at birth."
Tampa's human rights ordinance already protects people from discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and other factors.
Council chairman Tom Scott, pastor at the 34th Street Church of God, delivered a riveting speech before the vote, saying he didn't take the decision lightly.
"I did not sleep well last night. I spent most of my time as a Christian praying and seeking wisdom and direction on this particular ordinance," he said.
Scott said he wasn't intimidated by people who threatened not to vote for him if he supported the ordinance.
"The only vote I care about is God's vote," he said, noting that as a county commissioner he cast votes against gay issues.
But the United States, he said, is founded on the principles of freedom and choice.
And as a preacher, he asked himself "What would Jesus do?"
"I believe that Jesus loves every person in this room," he said. "This ordinance is about those who have made a decision to change their gender and they should not be discriminated against."
Council members Mary Mulhern and John Dingfelder referred to the Constitution.
"We're not in church. This is your Tampa City Council and we're legislators," Mulhern said. "When I look at my responsibility here, it does have to do with, as one of the speakers said, liberty and justice for all."
Dingfelder commended the transgender people who had the courage to address the council in the glare of the media.
The council decided to broaden its human rights ordinance to include gender identity at the request of the city's Human Rights Board.
"The bottom line is discrimination is wrong and history has proven that expanding the civil rights of our citizens is the right thing to do," said Philip Dinkins, the board's chairman.
He noted that Tampa is not blazing any new trails on the issue because cities, states and companies throughout the country include gender identity in their anti-discrimination rules.
The Council preliminarily approved the ordinance by a 7-0 vote on Nov. 5. There was little discussion that day, with just a handful of people speaking about the issue. All of them favored the change.
But the scene was vastly different for the final hearing on Thursday.
At least 50 people lined up to speak and they were split almost equally on the issue.
David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association, said adding a class to the human rights ordinance should be based on evidence showing a pattern of discrimination that causes economic hardship.
"This is all about politics," Caton said. "It has nothing to do with real discrimination complaints."
Others, though, talked about the importance of all people being able to work and live without worry of discrimination, and said transgender people are not perverts or child molesters.
Rocco Vallerand, who also goes by the name Raquel, said he works in the Pasco County school system and has no desire to harm any children. He simply wants to be able to maintain a job to support his two daughters.
"I am saddened that people are using religion as a guise for hate," he said.
Tobias Packer, a member of Equality Florida, told the council he is a transgender person and has been denied jobs even though he has an Ivy League education.
Packer referenced the thousands of e-mails and letters the council has received from the religious community against the ordinance.
"They hope to inspire fear and confusion, but I really ask that you simply look at the facts and the legal realities of this measure," he said.
Stephanie Nichols, who was born a male but now lives as a female, said she may not be the cookie-cutter image of a man or woman.
"But nobody's perfect," she said. She said she knows of at least 15 people who have lost their jobs as they made the transition from one gender to the other.
"Passing this amendment is fair and it's the right thing to do," she said.
The ordinance applies to organizations throughout the city, but the provisions relating to sexual orientation and gender identity do not apply to religious organizations. The ordinance also specifies that it's legal to segregate bathrooms based on sex, which is defined as a person's reproductive organs.
Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.
The Tampa City Council: The greatest deliberative body in its own mind.
What a bunch of schlubs.
I have a feeling we will be seeing some new council members. Insanity is ruling at all levels of Government.
Wow, don’t be surprised when you see a woman pee standing up at a urinal at Tampa International Airport.
There was a movie titled “They Might Be Giants”. In it, George C. Scott “lived” as Sherlock Holmes. The title comes from a line in Don Quixote who tilted at windmills because “they might be giants” But they weren’t giants. Scott wasn’t Sherlock Holmes and the tag line was “whose reality is right. Hint: They weren’t bleeping giants.
Another city that wants to let men in the women’s bathroom.
About ten years ago, “Dianne” worked here. He was as big as an Offensive Lineman and the stubble came through the pancake makeup by four in the afternoon. One day I came upon two young women who work here who are a combined eight feet tall cowering in the lobby. “Dianne” was in the Ladies Room, standing in the stall with the door ajar and taking a whiz. “dianne” left to find a job that was more Gay friendly. He would start every technical question with “I know you hate me”. I wouldn’t fall for it and neither did anyone else. He left looking for a lawsuit.
Normalizing the extreme.
> “I am saddened that people are using religion as a guise
> for hate,” he said.
=sniff=sniff=sob=sob=sniff=
Of course.
Anybody who believes that those with gender identity problems are mentally ill is filled with “hate”.
IT’S JUST COMMON SENSE, STUPID!
These people are equating COMMON SENSE with HATE!
I can’t call these people Liberals any more!
They are not Liberals.
They are LUNATICS!
They are mentally ill. You can’t think that way unless you are INSANE.
Comparing transgender people to sexual predators was probably a bad move, and does give the impression of trying to use fear-mongering. I don’t understand the reasoning behind they think “I was born a man but I’m truly a woman”, but I don’t like the fact that a man who dresses like a woman, which will almost always result in a rather disruptive work environment, cannot be disciplined for creating said environment because of this law. If they wanna’ wear a dress, high heels and makeup they should have enough sense to not wear that stuff to their job.
Not at all since it’s entirely possible :)
Forget that--just wait until your next trip to the nudie bar.
As a straight, white man I demand the same rights as a gay, black woman!
Male lesbians???
What’s really sad is that the group that I now call “The 31 flavors of sexual perversion”, i.e. the gay lesbian bisexual so-called “community”, has added those that are truly mentally ill into their ranks.
Check out what Wikipedia says about “gender identity”:
Gender identity (otherwise known as core gender identity) is the gender(s), or lack thereof, a person self-identifies as. It is not necessarily based on biological fact, either real or perceived, nor is it always based on sexual orientation. The gender identities one may choose from include: male, female, both, somewhere in between (”third gender”), or neither.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_identity
“Perceived”?
Not to be confused with “gender expression”:
“Gender expression is the manner in which individuals “perform” their gender roles. That is to say, an individual may identify as a particular gender, but that individual may express that gender in various ways.”
http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Gender_expression
Ok, that’s not as complicated. It sounds like they’re talking about your everyday drag queen when it comes to “gender expression”.
So here’s the scenario: Little Johnny comes home from school and says that he has a new teacher. When his mom asks if the teacher is a man or a woman, Johnny says “I’m not sure; he talks like a man, dresses like a woman; but today he “perceived” himself to be “somewhere in between”.
The possibilities are endless here.
Thankfully I haven’t been to TIA since ‘04. What woman in her right mind would attempt that?Yeesh! OTHO,it is fun to watch the planes come and go!
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