An attempt to put a referendum on Hamtramck’s November ballot that would strip protections of sexual orientation and gender expression from the Hamtramck human rights ordinance appears to have failed, at least initially.

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In June, the Hamtramck City Council passed a human rights law that prohibited discrimination in employment, housing and city contracting “on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, condition of pregnancy, marital status, physical or mental limitation, source of income, family responsibilities or status, educational association, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or handicap.”

Opposition to the inclusion of “sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression” immediately sprang up, and a campaign was launched by a group of local residents to collect enough petition signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to repeal the ordinance. Only 417 signatures were needed and 523 were collected and turned in to City Clerk Ed Norris last week. After examining all of the signatures, however, Norris concluded Monday that only 410 were valid, leaving them seven short of the number necessary.

The city clerk is in the process of notifying the petitioners that they do not have enough valid signatures. By law, the petitioners will then have 15 days to submit additional signatures to meet the minimum necessary.