By Nathan Prewett
For the Tribune
BIRMINGHAM — The city of Birmingham has become the first city in Alabama to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance, which will establish a “Human Rights Commission” to serve as an advisor to the city council in cases of civil rights complaints. The ordinance was passed unanimously at a regular meeting Tuesday morning.
The ordinance was Item 1 on the agenda and was described as prohibiting discrimination “on the basis of a person’s real or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status; provide for a Human Rights Commission to act in an advisory role to the Mayor and Council on matters related to eliminating discriminatory practices within the City; and provide for enforcement, and the hearing of all interested parties.”
This recent resolution also includes protections against discrimination in housing and accommodations.
Although national anti-discrimination laws are in place, the ordinance passed Tuesday in Birmingham will allow a complainant to take their case to a municipal court as opposed to federal entities, namely the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Punishment for violating the ordinance would be paying a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second offense to the maximum of $500. The Human Rights Commission would not have the authority to issue fines, summons, warrants or other actions that would be left to the magistrate of a municipal court.
A public hearing was held in which there was little opposition to passing the ordinance. Fourteen speakers stood to address the council, mainly concerning Birmingham’s LGBT community. Among the speakers was Patricia Todd from District 54 of the Alabama House of Representatives and an openly gay politician.
Many of the speakers voiced their reaction to the lack of anti-discrimination policies in Alabama cities prior to Tuesday. They expressed concerns to what they said was the possibility of people being fired or denied housing due to sexuality, race, gender, national origins and religious beliefs.
Some references were made to the recently launched campaign by Birmingham Mayor William Bell to convince Amazon to locate a second headquarters to the city, saying that an anti-discrimination policy would help in economic development by attracting more businesses to the area.
“This is extremely important to Birmingham and economic development as companies look to where they want to locate,” Todd said. “It’s hard enough to recruit people into Birmingham anyway. We’ve held off the legislature from passing many bad bills that would hurt economic development. This will help us. This will help Birmingham be the first. If we don’t do it this year, another city will beat us to it and I don’t think we want that.”
One speaker, Birmingham resident Keith Williams, related a personal story about being stopped at night and held at gunpoint by several police officers while living in Virginia. The speaker, who is black, said that the incident occurred because of his race and expressed urgency in passing the policy.
“No one deserves that kind of treatment,” he said. “So this ordinance will send the message that we will not tolerate discrimination, we will not tolerate judgement of any kind to anyone who is a law-abiding citizen of Birmingham.”
This was later echoed by Councilor Lashunda Scales, stressing that the policy applied to all people, especially for minorities.
“We can debate about whether or not you have a sexual preference or whatever,” she said. “But I don’t want people to think that’s all that this ordinance addresses. That’s why I’m going to support it: because it talks about discrimination, period.”
A dissident voice came from one speaker, Takia Hudson, a Birmingham minister, who did not expressly oppose the ordinance but suggested minor adjustments to insure that politicians or businesses that disagree with homosexuality are allowed their opinions. He also voiced concerns about the impact of increasing acceptance of the LGBT community on heterosexual families.
“We just have to be careful about how we look at this and how one group may piggyback off a very, very innocent move to pursue their own personal agenda,” he said. “I love everyone, don’t misinterpret what I’m saying, but I don’t have to love what you do.”
There was no opposition from the council itself as it passed the ordinance unanimously. Councilor Stephen Hoyt said that while the document is “not perfect,” they “can work with it.”
The next Birmingham City Council meeting will take place on Oct. 2 at the third floor of City Hall at 9:30 a.m.
39 Comments
Cliff Bagwell
By its very nature and name, the NAACP is discriminatory. What will this commission do about their activities?
Janice Archer Thomas
The ordinance itself is discriminatory. The decision about fines will be decided by one person.
Jack Quick
Its all black anyway.
Susan Woodham
All they have to do is call you a racist and game over, true or not.
James Pate
It’s for everyone. Namely LGBT too. Read articles before assuming please.
Brian Bradley
Another political stunt to get votes by Bell.
Zeke Ward
Wonder who they will hire for this position??
Tombstone Ted
This won’t stand a court review. So, if a person of color wants to buy my car for a little less than I want, they can now say I discriminated and I can be fined and hassled before a court? DUMBASSES! If I choose a straight gardner over a homosexual gardner, can I be brought into court for discrimination just because the homosexual gardner accuses me? MORONS!
Michael Stanley
A typical Marxist tactic to silence anyone who disagrees with their radical agenda.
Scott Landers
Bham really wants Amazon.
Scott Landers
Let me guess. A black, female, atheist, transgendered lesbian.
Scott Landers
That is the plan.
Jack Quick
James Pate Ididn’t assume. I lived there for my years.
Dylan Haynes
The NAACP is not discriminatory. You are welcome to go to their fundraisers, or meetings, or become a member yourself.
Dylan Haynes
Scott Landers, that would be the perfect person for the job. They don’t wish you the same harm and oppression that you wish them.
Dylan Haynes
Respecting people and allowing them to live their lives with respect and dignity is Marxist? And Radical? Wtf is wrong with you?
Dylan Haynes
If you hate gay people then leave. You dont have to live here.
Scott Landers
Nice try there Dylan Haynes. I could say the same to you and say if you love gay people so much why don’t you take your ass to San Francisco? Really your comment is just freaking stupid. Elementary. That means childish.
Linda D. Crumpton
Just another “Committee” born to hire blacks.
Meredith Arnold
Wonder how much the human rights commission is gonna be paid
Dylan Haynes
The point is protecting people from discrimination is a joke to you. Why cant you live and let live?
Briana Moore
Just gotta’ keep stirring it up. Would love to see evidence of all these discriminatory actions that are happening within the Bham city limits.
Bradley Clark
NAACP got its start with help of whites……..
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People
Bradley Clark
That makes it discriminatory?
Bradley Clark
Scott Landers
Perfect choice!
You volunteering?
Christie Henson Mckee
Somebodys cousin must need a job…..
Anne Snider Steward
Wasting millions of dollars while our police officers need raises, new gear etc…. okay ..typical
Michael Stanley
Bull we don’t need laws for that. Human right commission is part of the UN which the mayor and his chronies let intergrate with police and now we are being advised by them.
Kelsey McClure
How is this Trussville news?
Gary Bowers
Glad I moved to St. Clair County. Birmingham can go to hell.
Debra Anderson
Not gonna change anything.
Miranda Mason
Wasting millions of dollars on what?
Erick Gilkey
Erick Gilkey
Is it a good idea? In theory? Probably. In reality? Probably not.
Alec Cunningham
Excuse me Anne, let me explain to you how this is VERY important to me and so many people in our state. I am a gay man and my boyfriend and I have been in situations where we have been told by staff to leave a bar for being gay and there was nothing we could do about it. Yes, on what’s supposed to be a fun night out with my significant other and some friends, it gets ruined because some people are homophobic. What this ordinance does is makes that kind of discrimination punishable. And because this specifically protects LGBT people, we can now take legal action against a business that tries to shut the door on us for being gay. I just wanted to offer you my experience so that you are aware that this is a huge relief and success for many people that just want to live their life and love who they want to love without being in fear of not being welcome somewhere.
Alec Cunningham
I have my experience to offer. Last year my boyfriend and I went out with friends to a bar that had a dance floor and it started off as a really fun night. But the second that my boyfriend and I started to dance together, we were approached by staff. They told us that we weren’t allowed to dance together and that if we continued to do so, they were going to remove us. In a place that has no law that protects discrimination specifically for LGBT, we had no way to take legal action. The laws in Alabama do not protect people on the basis of sexual orientation. But because of that experience my boyfriend and I hardly ever go out to bars in the area anymore. It’s not worth the chance of getting called out in the middle of the bar for being yourself when all you’re doing is minding your own business. What this ordinance does is protect people in Birmingham from discrimination against them because of their sexual orientation. And it is VERY important to many people. I hope that this helped…
Alec Cunningham
My point of sharing my experience is to show that discrimination against gay people does happen. And when it happens to you it’s a really awful thing. It’s humiliating. It instills a fear where you become afraid to be yourself when you’re in a public setting. It’s not a happy way to live.
Alec Cunningham
We DO need this law, it’s important for many people, and it’s not a radical concept at all… I have my experience to offer. Last year my boyfriend and I went out with friends to a bar that had a dance floor and it started off as a really fun night. But the second that my boyfriend and I started to dance together, we were approached by staff. They told us that we weren’t allowed to dance together and that if we continued to do so, they were going to remove us. In a place that has no law that specifically protects discrimination for LGBT, we had no way to take legal action. The laws in Alabama do not protect people on the basis of sexual orientation. My point is that when discrimination happens to you, it’s really humiliating and it instills a fear. Sometimes it’s hard to show any affection toward my partner in public when things like this happen, and that’s not a happy way to live. What this ordinance does is protect people in Birmingham from discrimination because of their sexual orientation. And it is VERY important to many people. I hope that this helped…
Linda D. Crumpton
Erick Gilkey you are right. I’m a proud white southern lady. Just speaking the truth. Exactly who are on the committee? If it is not half white and half black, then it’s just another racist discriminatory committee