LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Protections Affirmed By Vote In Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte City Council unanimously approved new anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community Monday night, codifying new protections, including for public accommodations, taxis and employment.

The action comes five years after state lawmakers passed the contentious House Bill 2 "Bathroom Bill," that denied anti-discrimination protections based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.

Charlotte is the second-deadliest city in the U.S. for transgender and gender non-conforming people, according to The Human Rights Campaign, the Charlotte Observer reported.

The nondiscrimination ordinance amends existing City of Charlotte ordinances to include familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy and natural hairstyles a specific classes protected from discrimination, the city said.

The new ordinance goes into effect Oct. 1 for taxis and passenger vehicles for hire, public accommodations and procurement. Employment protections, which apply to all employers in Charlotte, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2022.

"Under the new employment protections, it is unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire a person, or otherwise discriminate against them in any employment matter, because of their race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy, natural hairstyle or disability," the City of Charlotte said.

While existing state and federal laws prohibit discrimination for those who employ 15 or more workers, the new Charlotte ordinance will apply to all employers, the city said. Violation could come with a fine or penalty up to $500, in addition to other enforcement options.

This council has worked together on so many things and we have this moment where we actually come together and take every part of what our community and residents have asked, and we put it in a statement of values, and a statement of action that's implementable and accountable," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said.

The new ordinance comes with limitations, however.

"Amendments to the ordinance do not address bathroom accommodations, which are regulated by the North Carolina legislature," the city said. It also does not offer protections in the event a religious organization requires that an employee adhere to its tenets as a condition of employment, it said.

"Leaders across North Carolina — including our U.S. Senators from NC — should look at what's happening n out state: Communities are taking a stand to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, which leads to safer, more inclusive places to live, work, and raise families," Allison Scott, director of impact and innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a statement following the vote. "It's time now to ensure that no LGBTQ North Carolinian is left vulnerable to discrimination — and that will require action from elected officials at every level of government."

More information about the Nondiscrimination Ordinance may be found here.