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6
<br />nd
<br /> MAIN, LLC” (2 reading)
<br />
<br />ORDINANCE
<br />k. : “AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REORDAINING
<br /> SECTION 34-972 OF ARTICLE IX (GENERALLY APPLICABLE
<br /> REGULATIONS) OF CHAPTER 34 (ZONING) OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE
<br /> CITY CODE, 1990, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO RESTRICTIONS ON FRONT
<br /> YARD PARKING IN COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE DISTRICTS”
<br /> (carried over)
<br />
<br />RESOLUTION
<br />: SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION AFFECTING
<br />LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED PERSONS
<br />
<br /> The Resolution Supporting Human Rights Legislation Affecting Lesbian, Gay,
<br />Bisexual and Transgendered Persons was approved by the following vote. Ayes: Dr.
<br />Brown, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Huja, Mr. Norris, Mr. Taliaferro. Noes: None.
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , a diverse and inclusive community that respects and enhances the
<br />potential of all its members is crucially important to City Council’s mission of making
<br />
<br />Charlottesville an excellent place to work, live, and visit; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are vital members of
<br />our community including police officers, teachers, and doctors; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , in the increasingly competitive and diverse workforce and
<br />economy, recruiting and retaining the best public employees, requires Charlottesville to
<br />be as attractive an opportunity as possible; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , private businesses have already recognized the competitive
<br />advantage afforded by offering progressive employment practices regarding lesbian, gay,
<br />bisexual, and transgender employees, and leaders in their industry such as IBM have had
<br />such policies for more than a decade; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , 94 percent of Fortune 500 companies have non-discrimination
<br />policies protecting employees on the basis of sexual orientation and 125 include gender
<br />identity; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , in an increasingly competitive housing market, buyers are choosing
<br />to move to communities that are accepting of all its members; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , there is no federal law protecting Charlottesville’s gay, lesbian,
<br />bisexual or transgender employees from such workplace discrimination; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , there is currently no state law in Virginia prohibiting discrimination
<br />against employees of state or local government, including employees of Virginia’s public
<br />colleges and universities, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy,
<br />childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation,
<br />or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran covered by the Vietnam Era
<br />Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , all employees of the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions or
<br />agencies deserve statutory protection against employment discrimination based on any of
<br />the above non-merit based factors; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS
<br /> , recent survey research by the Equality Virginia Education Fund
<br />shows that more than 90% of Virginians support the right of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
<br />transgender citizens to work for the government without discrimination, and according to
<br />Gallup’s May 10-13, 2007, Values and Beliefs Poll, 89% of U.S. citizens believe that
<br />gays and lesbians should have workplace discrimination protection;
<br />
<br />Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED
<br /> that the Charlottesville City Council calls
<br />upon the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation codifying the basic human right
<br />of all public employees to be free from discrimination in the workplace based on race,
<br />color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions,
<br />
<br />
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