New Port Richey already has non-discrimination statements on items issues like race, but now city council wants to make sure that gender identity and sexual orientation are protected, too.
At today’s meeting, council members will consider a resolution that condemns discrimination in housing, public accommodations and employment based on a number of characteristics.
Mayor Rob Marlowe told BN9 that the city already has discrimination protections in place on a number of things, but he wants the council to “[clarify] that that includes gender identity.” Pasco Pride President Nina Borders seemed supportive of the resolution, which says that “the city shall direct its efforts and resources toward eliminating discriminatory practices within the city in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations where they exist."
Critics say that a resolution doesn’t have teeth the way laws (like ones already in place in Tampa and Hillsborough County) do, but Borders told the station that “it’s a start… a stepping stone.”
“The resolution’s beautifully written, and I believe they really have our protections and our values at heart. They believe in equality,” she told the station. “We truly believe in an ordinance and we truly believe Pasco County as a whole needs that ordinance.”
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This article appears in Jul 11-18, 2019.