Clarkston City Council member Rosemarie Nelson is sponsoring legislation to ban discrimination against city workers on the basis of sexual orientation. (Photo courtesy City of Clarkston)
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Jan 09, 2009  |  By: DYANA BAGBY  | COMMENTS |   |  

The Clarkston City Council voted Jan. 6 to consider adding sexual orientation protection to its nondiscrimination statement and could approve the ordinance as early as next month.

Council member Rosemarie Nelson asked the council to pass the policy change as a way to show the city is forward thinking, but council members balked at approving the ordinance without holding a work session on the issue first.

“They had two weeks to look at the ordinance and didn’t say anything to me,” Nelson said following Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s very simple wording. We’ve got to become more progressive.”

Council member Warren Hadlock said he was in favor of the measure to show the city is “open and affirming” and agreed with the wording recommended by Nelson.

“I’m all for it … and I look forward to discussing it in a work session,” he said.

A work session will be held at the end of this month, Nelson said. The next city council meeting is slated for Feb. 3.

Clarkston had a population of approximately 8,000 as of the 2000 U.S. Census and is located northeast of Decatur. It is noted for its diversity due to many refugees resettling in the city.

Before officially introducing the legislation at the Jan. 6 meeting, Nelson told the council that adding sexual orientation protections would “demonstrate to our citizens, partners, vendors and potential partners our ‘big heart’ sensitively to the issues regarding protected classes and forward thinking.”

“The marketing component would be tremendous, demonstrating our ability to not only embrace cultures but protected classes as a whole,” she said.

The exact wording of the proposed ordinance states: “No employee of the city of Clarkston shall be discriminated against in promotion, discipline, pay, or any other conditions of employment based on sex, race, religion, national origin, citizenship, political affiliation, handicap, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.”

While disappointed the measure was not approved at the Jan. 6 meeting, Nelson said she would continue to work on getting it passed.

“We’re going to try to make this happen,” she said. “I want people to know us not just as an international city, but that we welcome people from all backgrounds.”

State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), who helped frame the proposed ordinance, said while DeKalb County may offer sexual orientation protections, having cities such as Clarkston do the same will serve as a way to make progress in a red state.

“I saw that Doraville did it [passed a non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation and gender identity in November] and it dawned on me we should work to also get these ordinances passed in municipalities, such as Clarkson as well as Avondale Estates and Pine Lake,” she said.

“I spoke to all of them [Clarkston council members] in advance and everyone I spoke with did not have a problem with sexual orientation. I’ll work with them to answer any questions they may have at the work session,” Drenner added.

Georgia Equality is also working with Clarkston to pass the policy as part of its Campaign for a Fair Majority, said Executive Director Jeff Graham.

“I think what happened is a good thing and gives us the opportunity to work more closely. And we certainly hope to work with other municipalities in DeKalb County and outside metro Atlanta,” he said.

Georgia cities and counties with sexual orientation included in their nondiscrimination statements are Atlanta, Decatur, Doraville, Savannah, East Point, Tybee Island, Lithia Springs, Athens-Clarke County, Fulton County and DeKalb County; Atlanta, Decatur and Doraville also include gender identity protections.