April 19, 2008 by Jamie Tyroler
Kansas City’s City Council voted 13-0 on April 3 to add gender identity and expression to the city’s civil rights ordinance.
I would like to thank everyone who has worked publicly and behind the scenes on this issue over the last several years. By no stretch of the imagination can I thank each person individually or the various organizations that have provided support. I do want to thank Council Member Beth Gottstein (Fourth District at large) for having the courage to bring this before the council. Thanks also go to Lisa Mottet of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for her legal assistance and Stephanie Shockley for talking with various organizations and politicians over the years. I also want to thank those who took the time to attend the April 2 committee hearing and the full council vote the next day and speak with City Council members.
According to Gottstein’s statement to the city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, “Ordinance #080311 [protecting citizens from discrimination in public accommodations, employment and housing"> ensures that our policy is consistent with both other cities and the spirit of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, Equal Protection.”
It wasn’t surprising that this passed the full council, but it was surprising that it passed unanimously. Gottstein had seven co-sponsors: Mayor Mark Funkhouser, Ed Ford (Second District at large), Cindy Circo (Fifth District at large), Cathy Jolly (Sixth District at large), Jan Marcason (Fourth District), Terry Riley (Fifth District) and John A. Sharp (Sixth District). Gottstein also thanked several people in her statement to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: Jim McDonald, John Comstock, Lisa Bruner, Lana Knedlik, Stephanie Shockley, Cassidy Fallick, Donna Ross, the Rev. John Barbone, Miriam Hennosy, Doug Riley, Colin Theis and “Rev. Nunnelly”, and especially her administrator Jim Giles for his research and hours of work.
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