Council to discuss gender identity issue for municipal code

An ordinance amending the Bloomington Municipal Code to recognize gender identity was introduced at Wednesday's Common Council meeting.\nThe ordinance, co-sponsored by Council President Chris Sturbaum and Councilman David Sabbagh, would add gender identity to the list of classes protected from discriminatory practices.\nThe list currently includes race, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation and disability.\nThe purpose of the ordinance is to promote respect for a person's gender identity and discourage discrimination, according to the Council's legislative packet.\nCurrently, there are ordinances from 78 cities and counties, statutes from nine states, policies from 82 Fortune 500 companies and 37 colleges and universities prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, according to the legislative packet.\nThe Bloomington Municipal Code will define gender identity as meaning "a person's actual or perceived gender-related attributes, self-image, appearance, expression or behavior, whether such characteristics differ from those traditionally associated with the person's assigned sex at birth."\nBloomington has had a Human Rights Commission for more than 40 years and has received only a few reports of gender identity discrimination, according to the legislative packet. However, a 2003 report from the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights stated that transgender people experience a 49 percent rate of discrimination regarding employment, 32 percent regarding housing and 31 percent regarding health care.\nDiscussion of the proposed Municipal Code change will take place at next week's Common Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.