Kansas City, Kansas has extended its
nondiscrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender
identity.
The Unified Government Board of
Commissioners for Wyandotte County and Kansas City voted on the
change on Thursday.
The county and city's ordinance
prohibits discrimination in housing, employment and public
accommodations. Previously, only the Kansas City suburb of Roeland
Park included people who are LGBT in its nondiscrimination
ordinance.
LGBT rights groups cheered the move.
“Everyone has a right to live their
life without fear of discrimination,” Brett Hoedl, chairman of the
Kansas City chapter of Equality Kansas, said in a statement
congratulating the municipalities.
“This is a major victory for LGBTQ
equality in Kansas City, Kan., and it’s especially encouraging
following state lawmakers’ shameful move ramming into law a license
to discriminate against LGBTQ people in child welfare services,”
said
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) national field director Marty Rouse.
“It proves that progress at the local level is possible even when
state lawmakers refuse to do the right thing. We thank the
commissioners for taking action and congratulate Equality Kansas and
the local advocates who made this incredibly important victory
possible.”
(Related: Kansas'
Jeff Colyer signs bill allowing adoption agencies to refuse gay
couples.)