The Kalamazoo City Commission unanimously repealed an ordinance to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression. The Commission approved the ordinance unanimously last month, but opponents, lead by the American Family Association of Michigan, collected enough signatures to put the ordinance up for a public vote.
The move means voters will not have to vote on the ordinance, and the ordinance is revoked and will not go into effect.
But according to the Kalamazoo Gazette, city leaders expect to bring the ordinance up again.
Commissioners talked individually over the past week, saying Monday they hoped a cooling-off period would allow for talks to negotiate a middle ground.
Opponents said the City Commission failed to take the community into account when it passed the law originally. And while opponents did gather enough signatures to put the ordinance to a vote, not one person spoke against the ordinance in the public hearings leading up to its passage.
Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell says he now is ready to move forward and find a way to protect the gay community in city ordinances.
From the Gazette,
“My intent is that we will have an ordinance that will provide protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals,” Hopewell told a standing-room crowd with mixed opinions.
Also in attendance and opposing the ordinance was former Republican State Rep. Jack Hoogendyk, R-Texas Corners. Hoogendyk was a staunch opponent of LGBT inclusive legislation in the state house, and is currently running to be the chair of the GOP in Michigan.
