With a unanimous vote, the City of
Charleston became the second city to approve a gay protections law in
the state of South Carolina.
City leaders approved two ordinances
Tuesday. A housing anti-discrimination law was beefed up to include
age, sexual orientation and gender identity, while a new ordinance
prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, familial status, disability, age and sexual
orientation or gender identity in the area of public accommodations.
“All across South Carolina, we are
celebrating this historic victory for all families as Charleston
joins Columbia as the second city in the state to enact such
nondiscrimination ordinances,” C. Ray Drew, executive director of
South Carolina Equality, said in a statement.
“These pro-business ordinances are
consistent with the values of Charlestonians; they send the clear
message that Charleston welcomes families from all walks of life,”
he added.
A coalition of civil rights groups
lobbied for passage of the new laws, both in Charleston and Columbia.
Members of Charleston's Alliance for Full Acceptance (AFFA), SC
Stonewall Democrats, SC Log Cabin Republicans, American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) and South Carolina Equality presented the
ordinances to the Charleston mayor's office in August.