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| Michelle Bruce, Georgia’s first openly transgendered elected official, says colleagues on the Riverdale City Council are trying to force her out over her gender identity. (Photo by R.O. Youngblood) |
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: DYANA BAGBY
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Riverdale City Council member Michelle Bruce, the state’s first openly transgendered elected official, claims she is the target of a campaign by fellow council members to remove her from office over her gender identity.
Bruce said the effort came after she proposed expanding the city’s non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression earlier this year.
On Monday, a resolution to change the city’s charter section on impeachment of council members was defeated by a 3-2 vote. Bruce said the proposal was an effort to unseat her.
“They want me out. They can’t stand for anyone to be different,” Bruce said.
Bruce, who was born intersexed and identifies as transgendered, was elected to the Riverdale City Council in November 2003 and took office in January 2004. She is a board member of Trans=Action, an Atlanta-based transgender advocacy organization.
Last March, Bruce proposal to amend the city’s anti-bias policies was defeated 3-2. Council members Kenneth Ruffin and Rick Scoggins as well as Mayor Phaedra Graham voted against it. Bruce and council member Wanda Wallace voted in favor of the proposed amendment.
“Ever since I introduced that resolution, I’ve been attacked,” Bruce said this week.
Bruce said she expects to face additional efforts to remove her from the city council as she continues to press the expansion of Riverdale’s non-discrimination policy.
The proposed changes to the city charter that failed June 13 called for impeaching officers who are guilty of “malpractice, willful neglect in office or abuse of power.” The resolution stated that only council members who are not the subject of impeachment hearings could vote on the matter.
Scoggins and Ruffin voted in favor of the proposal; Bruce and Wallace voted against it. Graham broke the tie by voting against the resolution. Graham said the change wasn’t needed.
Scoggins and Ruffin said their proposal was not driven by a personal agenda against Bruce, but by a desire to update the charter.
“None whatsoever,” Scoggins said.
Ruffin said he supports the measure because he believes the charter needs to be updated.
Wallace, who voted in favor of Bruce’s proposal to expand the city’s anti-bias policy and against the impeachment proposal, said Ruffin and Scoggins don’t like Bruce and want her off the council.
“My personal opinion is that this [impeachment resolution] was an attack against her,” Wallace said. “My belief is if you’re going to push for something only for a personal agenda, it is not fair to the taxpayer.”
At the March council meeting, no council member raised objections to adding sexual orientation to the city’s non-discrimination policy. But Ruffin said he was confused about the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression,” so he voted against the measure.
“I’m inclusive of anybody, but I’m unaware of current issues in the city with this. I need to better understand what gender identity and expression mean,” he said.
Scoggins also said he was confused by the terms. Graham said at the time she voted against the amendment due to questions from some council members.
But Bruce said her proposal makes her a target.
“They want me out because they say I’m gay. The GLBT people here tell me they’re scared,” Bruce said. “They’re moving out of the county and city where they don’t feel threatened.”
Bruce also pointed to what she described as subtle harassment at the June 13 city council meeting when a city employee addressed her as “he.” Audible chuckles were heard from several people seated in the back of the room.
“Little things like that add up,” Bruce said.
In Georgia, the cities of Atlanta, Decatur and Pine Lake have non-discrimination ordinances that include gender identity and gender expression.
Riverdale City Council member Michelle Bruce, the state’s first openly transgendered elected official, claims she is the target of a campaign by fellow council members to remove her from office over her gender identity.
Bruce said the effort came after she proposed expanding the city’s non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression earlier this year.
On Monday, a resolution to change the city’s charter section on impeachment of council members was defeated by a 3-2 vote. Bruce said the proposal was an effort to unseat her.
“They want me out. They can’t stand for anyone to be different,” Bruce said.
Bruce, who was born intersexed and identifies as transgendered, was elected to the Riverdale City Council in November 2003 and took office in January 2004. She is a board member of Trans=Action, an Atlanta-based ...
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