After hearing criticism by some council members and a round of comments by the public on both sides of the issue, council member Chris Anderson has amended the pending non-discrimination ordinance to remove the phrase "gender expression" from the document and added definitions for terms that some found confusing or problematic.
The proposed ordinance would explicitly prohibit the harassment and discrimination of city employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Council member Chip Henderson, among others, has expressed problems with the current ordinance and asked on Tuesday if its supporters would be willing to add definitions for some of the phrases included in it.
Council member Anderson's revised version now includes a definition for gender identity which says it is, "The actual or perceived gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, with or without regard to the individual’s sex at birth."
Some members of the community who were not in support of the ordinance suggested that the city council remove four words, "gender identity or expression" while retaining the mention of sexual orientation.
One of council member Henderson's primary issues with the ordinance is the problem of how to address the use of specific public restrooms by transgender individuals. He has said that he is unwilling to put someone in a position in which they are uncomfortable in a restroom.
However, during a period for public comments at the city council meeting on Tuesday, several dozen members of the LGBTQ community and supporters of the ordinance spoke up and said that the council members' concerns were unfounded.
One even pointed out that in five states that have enacted similar ordinances, some as early as 1993, there have been no allegations about assault, sexual or otherwise, from transgender individuals in restrooms.
The revised ordinance is still scheduled to be voted on by the council at which point it will be up for further discussions and possible amendments by a simple majority vote.