Public Forum Monday on Charlotte Non-Discrimination Ordinance

CHARLOTTE, NC – A renewed push is underway to add more LGBT protections to Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance. It comes almost a year after City Council voted down similar proposed changes.

“Currently, there are no legal protections on the basis on sexual orientation or gender identity,” says Matt Hirschy, with Equality NC. “Simply, in 2016, it’s, kind of, it’s past time to update these laws.”

Last March, City Council voted down similar changes 6-5.

Many on council who supported the measure switched their vote after a controversial bathroom policy was removed from the proposal. That policy would have allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.

“As far as being hung up on the bathroom issue, that kind of thing, I don’t.. I don’t see that as an issue. I mean, certainly it’s something that people are scared about,” Hirschy says.

“Women are not comfortable with men being free to go into their restrooms. And that was a big heart of the matter last time,” says Pastor Mark Harris, with First Baptist Church of Charlotte.

Opponents of the proposed changes like Harris argue the debate should already be over.

“It seems to be another case of government kind of run amuck. To where, you know, we take something one year, it fails, we bring it back the next year, and we just try to quietly kinda ram it through,” Harris says.

The public forum will be held Monday night at the Palmer Building, on East 7th Street. It begins at 6:15pm.