Tucker City Council passes LGBTQ+ inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance

WSBTV.com News Staff
·2 min read

The Tucker City Council passed a nondiscrimination ordinance Tuesday that will provide protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups.

Channel 2′s Bryan Mims was in Tucker Thursday, where metro Atlanta’s newest city became Georgia’s 15th municipality to offer protections for those who live, work and visit the city, according to officials.

The ordinance provides protections that are not covered by federal law. Georgia is one of just three states lacking a state-wide anti-discrimination law.

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The city council votes 6-to-1 for the measure, which the mayor opposed.

“Thanks to the hard work of local advocates in Tucker, the passage of this ordinance ensures 38,000 more Georgians are provided the necessary protections from discrimination that we all deserve,” said Jeff Graham, Georgia Equality’s executive director. “All of us at Georgia Equality are proud to have been involved in this work as we continue pushing for the passage of these protections in cities and counties across Georgia.”

Mayor Pro Tem Anne Lerner said the ordinance makes it clear that Tucker is a welcoming and supportive community.

““I believe the people who spoke in favor of the ordinance and the people who spoke against the ordinance have more in common than they realize,” Lerner said. “All were speaking about the fear and hurt they feel because someone may discriminate against them.”

Graham said the measure establishes a means for filing discrimination complaints.

“If a finding against a business has been lodged, then there can be some fines and some actions taken against those businesses,” Graham said.

Mayor Frank Auman was the only dissenting vote. He said he opposes the ordinance because he thinks it would restrict religious practices.

Auman emailed Mims Thursday and said, “We’ll implement it and hope for the best.”

Atlanta was Georgia’s first city to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance over 20 years ago, followed by Doraville in 2018.

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Here is a list of the cities and counties in Georgia that have passed this ordinance:

  • Atlanta

  • Decatur

  • Clarkston

  • Chamblee

  • Dunwoody

  • Brookhaven

  • East Point

  • Savannah

  • Smyrna

  • Statesboro

  • Hapeville

  • Athens-Clarke County

  • Augusta-Richmond County

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