Fort Worth City Council Meeting Sees Protests, Expansion of Anti-Discrimination Ordinance to Cover Transgender People

(image dallas voice)

Protests outside the Fort Worth City Council meeting last night were heated and vocal, with members of the group Queer LiberAction clashing with anti-gay Christians. In the photo above, Queer LiberAction's Rick Vanderslice argues with an anti-gay demonstrator. The Dallas Voice notes: "At one point, Vanderslice attempted to kiss the man."

The Fort Worth City Council later voted 6-3 to expand its anti-discrimination ordinance to cover transgender people. It already covers people on the basis of their sexual orientation.

The Star-Telegram reports:

"A lot of the debate, though, centered on broader proposals, some of which the council has already tacitly approved. City staffers will be trained on dealing with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and the Police Department has appointed a liaison to the community.Other recommendations will require further study, including offering domestic-partner benefits and expanding the city health insurance plan to cover gender reassignment procedures, including sex changes. More than 200 people packed the council chambers, lining the walls and spilling into overflow rooms. 'We believe, as you do, that we should respect each other,' said Jon Nelson of Fairness Fort Worth. 'The foundation of these recommendations isn’t preferential treatment, it’s equal treatment.' Three transgender people — two transsexual women and a cross-dressing man — were among those who spoke in favor of the ordinance."

Videos here and here.

Showdown in Fort Worth as Task Force LGBT Recommendations Come Up for Vote; Rally Planned

A rally is planned for 5pm this evening outside Fort Worth City Hall as recommendations by a Diversity Task Force undertaken after the Rainbow Lounge Raid in July come up for a vote at City Council.

The task force recommends Fort Worth amend the city’s insurance policy in order to implement diversity training for city officials and law enforcement officers and extend the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to include gender expression. The recommendations also include extending domestic partner benefits, shared pensions and family leave for gay and lesbian city employees, including a company’s record on domestic partner benefits when considering city tax breaks, including sex-change surgery in city health insurance coverage, posting nondiscrimination language on job notices, including a letter to police recruits, the establishment of support groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, educational fairs and public events to increase awareness of the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance, and a push for state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

The conservative religious community is, not surprisingly, opposing the recommendations. On Sunday evening the activist group Queer LiberAction was scheduled to host a “Milk Box” in Fort Worth, and were run off in fear of violence by a Christian group that formed and took over the corner.

Watch the 'Milk Box' incident, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Fort Worth Officers Receive Inadequate Suspensions for Gay Bar Raid

 

At a press conference yesterday, Fort Worth police chief Jeff Halstead announced that a chapter was being closed in discussing investigations related to the June raid on the Rainbow Lounge:

"Speaking at a news conference across from the bar, chief Jeffrey Halstead acknowledged officers were overaggressive, creating an atmosphere of 'fear and confusion' in the bar. But he said none crossed the line in how they handled people or went into the bar because of its clientele. 'It was very clear from this inquiry that there was no malice or ill will on the part of any officers who entered the Rainbow Lounge,' he said."

In August, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission fired three agents for their participation in the raid. Halstead's discipline to the Fort Worth force can only be described as insulting to those targeted in the raid:

The Dallas Morning News:

Suspended for a variety of policy violations were Fort Worth police Sgt. R.M. Morris, and Officers K.Q. Gober and J.M. Back.

• Morris, who joined the force in 1995, received a one-day suspension for "poor judgment" in the way he conducted the bar check on the Rainbow Lounge. "The decision to utilize a total of nine law enforcement officers to check a newly established club was excessive," his suspension letter states. The investigation also found that he failed to follow procedures, such as checking liquor licenses or other permits.

• Gober, a nearly three-year veteran, received a one-day suspension after he arrested two bar patrons for public intoxication but failed to complete his police reports by the end of his shift. "This negative media attention could have been averted had Officer Gober completed the required offense report," his suspension letter states.

• Back, a nine-year veteran, received a three-day suspension after he arrested a bar patron for having a "drunk look," which does not meet requirements for a public intoxication arrest. Back released the patron to a friend after learning the friend was Fort Worth police employee. Back violated department policy by not issuing a citation to the patron before releasing him. "Officer Back’s conduct in releasing the patron gave the appearance of favoritism and that he did not have sufficient cause to arrest the person," his suspension letter states.

Watch Halstead's press conference, AFTER THE JUMP...

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