Columbia City Council’s unanimous vote Monday to add gender identity to the list of categories protected against discrimination was historic, PROMO Executive Director A.J. Bockelman said.
PROMO is an organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality within Missouri.
“Nearly 10 years ago, this same vote was defeated,” Bockelman said in an email. “It is an awareness that times have changed.”
PROMO members met with Mayor Bob McDavid and requested that gender identity be added to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance according to documents provided with Council minutes. McDavid then requested that a bill be drafted, which was then passed by the Council.
“It is a really exciting step the City Council took to show inclusion of all students,” LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator Struby Struble said.
Graduate student Garrett Hoffman, a transgender male, saw the vote as something long overdue rather than something to celebrate.
“I think this means that our city has finally made it to a place we should have been at years ago,” Hoffman said in an email. “This gives me a right I, and all humans, should have from the beginning. This vote means we finally caught up.”
Struble said the unanimous vote shows that the council truly cares about its residents, and it is a continuation of the council’s history of listening to residents and responding responsibly.
“This was a big move to hopefully have our culture follow the policy of equality for everyone,” Struble said.
Bockelman said the unanimous vote showed that by and large, tolerance for discrimination against the LGBT community is beginning to wane in the United States.
“All members of the community who feel gender variance now know they have equal protection under the law,” Struble said. “If discrimination continues to occur there is now legal recourse.”
Hoffman said though he feels supported by his work community, the bill provides peace of mind for him.
“I remember when I moved to Columbia, got my job and leased my apartment there was always the thought in the back of my head that reminded me, ‘I can get fired and lose my house one day just because of who I am and there’s nothing I would be able to do about it,’” Hoffman said.
Struble said harassment within the transgender community occurs frequently. She cited bullying and harassment around campus, as well as the employment and housing discrimination the bill prohibits as common examples.
“While society and culture have become much more accepting of sexual orientation minorities, people who transgress standard gender boundaries are not yet as accepted,” Struble said.
Hoffman said he has not experienced any discrimination with housing or employment but that he faces discrimination from the bathroom and locker room situations on campus. He said there is only one gender-neutral bathroom in the building where his office is located and none in many buildings on campus.
Hoffman said an even bigger challenge he faces is not being able to change or shower in the Student Recreation Complex because he is often uncomfortable with using men’s bathrooms, which stems from past experiences and the fact that there are no gender-neutral facilities.
“I’m afraid that if somebody finds out that my gender on my id (sic) says female, that I could get assaulted or arrested,” Hoffman said.
Bockelman said he thinks discrimination is a reality but these types of bills are still important.
“I will not be naive and say we can wipe out all discrimination,” Bockelman said. “However, passage of municipal and state level laws can send a strong message — ‘We don’t condone discrimination and we value all members of our greater community.’”
The bill already protected a host of other categories from discrimination.
“To encourage fair treatment for all persons regardless of age as it relates to employment, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, handicap, sexual orientation, gender identity or familial status as it relates to housing,” the bill now states.
