Mayor of Kokomo Signs LGBT Protection Act

Kokomo is the latest community in Indiana to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. According to WTHR in Indiana:\

Council members voted 5-4 in favor of an ordinance protecting members of the LGBT community after what has been a contentious debate. Mayor Greg Goodnight signed the ordinance early Tuesday. The overflow crowd tested the capacity of Kokomo’s council chambers. By fire code, only 157 could fit inside. Police estimated 300 to 400 more people had to stand outside and await the final vote on the human rights ordinance. The measure protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens from discrimination. It also bans discrimination based on marital status, age or veteran status.

Despite death threats and harassing emails, council members voted to end LGBT discrimination. “One of our members was basically told ‘you better vote no or else’ and I won’t go into what the ‘or else’ was. But he has filed a police report on that,” said Council President Robert Hayes.”There were things we received in emails that no elected official should have received. When I get emails invoking my dead mother, saying she’d be weeping at my vote, well, you don’t know my mother. She’d say ‘atta boy. Go get ’em and speak your mind,” Hayes said. “I certainly hope we haven’t come to the point where we cannot agree to disagree in a civil manner without intimidation and in some cases outright bigotry.”