A Sandy Springs city council member is lobbying for the metro Atlanta city to adopt an LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination statement to make it clear that “discrimination has no place in our community.”
Council member Andy Bauman (photo) proposed the ordinance on March 21 – five days after Georgia lawmakers passed an anti-gay “religious freedom” measure and a week before Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed it. The measure threatened to abolish municipal protections for LGBT citizens, already in place in several cities like Atlanta and similar to the one Bauman hopes the City Council will create for Sandy Springs.
“I was reacting to the religious liberty bill and then wanted to make note of what we do here in Sandy Springs,” Bauman told Project Q Atlanta. “What I want to focus on is continuing a really good atmosphere in Sandy Springs.”
The city already includes sexual orientation in a list of protected classes on employment applications. And Reporter Newspapers said the city includes “sexual preference” in its non-discrimination policy, though that phrase is dated and now considered pejorative. But Bauman said it's time for the city to adopt a comprehensive policy that cleans up the language and is broadly applied to city facilities.
Bauman described his proposal in a March 21 press release. Via the AJC:
That is why, today, I am proposing that Sandy Springs adopt a formal policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, and also the promotion of Equal Opportunity Employment. This will apply to all Sandy Springs government employment practices and procedures, and to all contractors and organizations who wish to do business with or on behalf of our City. It will also apply to the use of all City property including parks and recreation facilities, and the new Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
In other words, Bauman told Project Q, he wants a policy that reflects what's already happening in the city of nearly 102,000 people, which makes Sandy Springs the seventh-largest city in Georgia.
“I feel very confident that our practices have been good. I just want our policy to catch up with our practice,” Bauman said.
In 2011, Sandy Springs appointed LGBT attorney Jane Morrison as assistant prosecutor. The city is also home to state Rep. Joe Wilkinson, who was one off just 11 Republicans to vote against House Bill 757 – the anti-gay measure that prompted Bauman to propose the non-discrimination ordinance. Wilkinson has since announced that he's not running for re-election.
The city is also represented in the state House by Rep. Wendell Willard, the powerful chair of the House Judiciary Committee who also serves as the city attorney for Sandy Springs. He's backed LGBT protections for state workers but also voted for House Bill 757.
Though nearly 60 jurisdictions in Georgia include sexual orientation in non-discrimination statements, just a dozen places also include gender identity, according to Georgia Equality. Bauman said he's open to considering that addition and that the issue is likely to vetted as city staffers research the issue and study the policies of other municipalities.
Policies in other metro Atlanta cities, including Atlanta, Brookhaven and Dunwoody, include both sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories in non-discrimination statements, according to Reporter Newspapers.
Bauman said city staff will study the issue, draft a policy and vet it before it reaches the City Council for consideration. Bauman said there's no timetable.
“It is something I want to see and will see it through. There is nothing contentious,” Bauman said.
More from Bauman's press release on March 21:
As a Sandy Springs Councilman, I am obligated to ensure that discrimination has no place in our community, and in the governance and operation of our City. To be very clear, I am not aware, nor do I believe, that Sandy Springs has discriminated against anybody based on their sexual orientation. I am proud of our City, and those who lead it. However, the City does not have a consistent or formal non-discrimination policy.
That is why, today, I am proposing that Sandy Springs adopt a formal policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, and also the promotion of Equal Opportunity Employment. This will apply to all Sandy Springs government employment practices and procedures, and to all contractors and organizations who wish to do business with or on behalf of our City. It will also apply to the use of all City property including parks and recreation facilities, and the new Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
This is not just a moral and legal issue, it is an economic imperative. Economic Development is one of our City’s adopted priorities, and I am proud Sandy Springs is home to many Fortune 500 and multi-national corporations. These companies have brought thousands of jobs and prestige to our City and many, if not most, have policies that speak unambiguously against any form of discrimination. We owe it to the business community to stand with them in support of those values.
