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Urge Nashville to Expand Anti-Discrimination Law to Contractors and Vendors
  1. Signatures
    6,724 out of 7,500
    Petitioning
    1. Metro Council (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Metro Council (Jon Cooper)
      • Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County
  2. Created By
    Michael Jones
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Apr 06, 2011

The Metro Council of Nashville has been debating legislation that would expand the city's nondiscrimination policy -- which is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity -- to all vendors and contractors with the city. In a close vote, the measure finally passed on April 5, 2011, after more than 6,700 Change.org members put pressure on the Metro Council to pass this law.

In signing the law, Nashville's Mayor, Karl Dean, said the following: "The Council showed great leadership in initiating and passing this piece of legislation and I'm proud to sign it into law. Nashville has time and again proven we're a city that doesn't tolerate discrimination, and with this ordinance, we are once again sending the message that we truly are a welcoming and friendly place."

Why This Is Important

If you like to discriminate against LGBT employees, believe that LGBT students are disruptive to the education process, and create a culture of homophobia on your campus, two Nashville politicians have some important words for you: our city shouldn't work with you.

Jamie Hollin and Mike Jameson are two city council members on the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. They believe that an anti-discrimination ordinance passed in Nashville last year, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, should prohibit the city from contracting with vendors who discriminate against LGBT people.

Nashville can't be a city that values equality and civil rights, according to Jameson and Hollin, if they're willing to partner with schools that foster anti-gay environments.

"It seems to me that it's the policy of [the Council] and my own personal philosophy to not discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation," Hollin said. "If that's the case we shouldn't be contracting with private institutions with policies that are in conflict with ours."

The two council members are set to introduce a resolution that would prevent the local government from contracting with entities that fail to include LGBT people in their non-discrimination polciies. Send the Council a message that this is an important issue to deal with, and that in order for the area to be truly inclusive, the government should make sure that all its contractual partners prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Please don't contract with entities that discriminate

Dear Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County

In the coming weeks, the Metro Council will debate a measure to expand Nashville's anti-discrimination ordinance to vendors and contractors, as a means of making sure that all partners with the Metro government don't discriminate against people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. I urge you to support this measure.

Nashville has a national reputation to consider, and that reputation should value diversity and inclusion. Expanding your anti-discrimination policies to make sure contractors don't discriminate against LGBT people only helps bolster Nashville's reputation in this regard, and sends a message that the community and the government cares about eliminating discrimination and harassment.

Please support this expansion of the anti-discrimination ordinance. Many thanks for your time.

[Your name]