Ordinance receives mixed
responses
By Kyle Boggs
Summer
Reporter
Complaints of discrimination in West Lafayette
have become so frequent that the city has come up with an ordinance
that will help solve the problem.
The purpose of ordinance 2001-08-CM is to provide
all citizens with equal opportunity for employment, public accommodations
and housing.
After nearly three hours of public statements from
more than 12 people, the second draft of the ordinance was finally passed
at the Tippecanoe County Commissioners meeting held Monday night.
County Commissioner K.D. Benson said there had
been many cases of discrimination filed in the city and nothing really
had been done about it in the past.
The ordinance calls for the Board of Commissioners
to create a new Human Relations Commission. It will consist of nine
members, who serve without compensation, that broadly represent as many
religious, racial, ethnic, economic or political groups as possible.
Elections for the positions of chairman, vice-chairman
and secretary of the board will take place every three years. The board
will seek to receive, investigate and attempt to adjust all complaints
of discrimination. An offender will be brought before the board to receive
punishments such as fines, counseling and assignments to read anti-discriminatory
books.
"We believe this is a step towards acceptance and
understanding in our community," said Benson.
Though the Board of Commissioners do have good
intentions, the ordinance seems to stir up some controversy.
The room in which the meeting was held contained
a motley display of people both supporting and opposing the proposed
ordinance. The main source of conflict surrounded the ethics of homosexuality.
Under the ordinance, religious groups were given the right to discriminate
against homosexuality.
For example, Benson said that many religious groups
claim that homosexuality is a horrible sin and therefore don’t
want them there.
However, those that are homosexual feel that they
are being discriminated against in this way. Others feel that the ordinance
is completely unnecessary.
"I've been discriminated against my whole life,"
said Travis Brown, an African American businessman. "Discrimination
is always going to take place no matter what happens, you just have
to learn to deal with it."
Content with the outcome of the ordinance, Pastor
Steven Duber of the Lafayette Church of Christ said that he would have
taken sexual orientation out of the definition of discrimination in
the ordinance. "Of the research that I have done, there is no proof
that homosexuality is hereditary," he said. "I would hope that all people
keep an open mind when understanding homosexuality from all standpoints."
Some believe that sexual orientation deserves a
broader definition. Transsexual Michelle Fuqua said gender identity
should have been included and explained in the ordinance.
Some people such as Wayne Applegate welcomed all
forms of diversity into his life. "Send me all your diversity, its good
stuff," he said.
From the look on many of the commissioners faces,
it was obvious that nobody was expecting such a large turnout to fight
against an ordinance.
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