We, the undersigned, call on the Columbus, Georgia City Council to support the passage of a Nondiscrimination Ordinance as it is currently written: banning discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on real or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status, or veteran status; and also establishing a Committee for Discrimination Dispute Resolution composed of volunteers from the community who can review and resolve discrimination disputes. 

Georgia currently does not have protections against discrimination in public accommodations on any basis other than disability. Georgia also does not protect against discrimination in employment nor housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. As the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia asserts, employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964's prohibition on sex discrimination.

And the Georgia General Assembly, in 2020, recognized that "sexual orientation and gender" are valid-enough traits to be covered under our state's new hate crimes law, but not yet to protect sexual orientation and gender identity from discrimination in public accommodations, employment and housing. If Georgia's General Assembly cannot yet bring themselves to recognize this reality through legislation, then the Columbus Georgia City Council can and should. 

This sensible approach to human rights would bring Columbus in line with Atlanta, Savannah, Sandy Springs, Clarkston, Decatur, Chamblee, Doraville, and Smyrna in protecting more of our residents (and more of the state of Georgia) from discrimination and ensuring that our residents have more of a chance for a fair, inexpensive, local means of resolving discrimination disputes. 

No one should be subject to discrimination on grounds which cannot be changed. No one should be subject to discrimination and harassment based on lies against their lived experiences and relationships which have no basis in fact. Our city's success in recruiting and retaining talent depends on our city government protecting all residents from discrimination.

We ask the City Council to "Do Amazing" for our fellow Columbus residents with this nondiscrimination ordinance.