By Libby Skarin, Policy Director
On Tuesday, June 16, the Sioux Falls City Council had the opportunity take a proactive step to protect LGBT citizens across the city. On their agenda were two items to accomplish this: first, a policy to add “gender identity” to the non-discrimination protections for city employees, and second, an ordinance to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the already-existing non-discrimination ordinance which applies to the entire city.
During a week when anti-LGBT rhetoric manifested into literal violence in Orlando, a month in which we celebrate LGBT Pride, and a year in which we’ve seen over 200 anti-LGBT bills introduced nationwide, the City Council had the chance to stand against hatred and act bravely to affirm the legal rights and human dignity of this community.
Instead, they retreated.
They opted to pull the ordinances from discussion – ordinances they themselves had put on the agenda – without an explanation as to why. After listening to public input from LGBT community members and faith leaders, and after we at the ACLU implored them to explain why they were sabotaging their own efforts, the ordinances disappeared into silence.
At this crucial time for the LGBT community, such silence is deafening. To introduce the hope of something resembling legal equality and to then snuff out that hope in the face opposition with no explanation is the opposite of bravery. It’s the opposite of open government. It breeds disappointment, distrust, and suspicion. LGBT community members and Sioux Falls residents deserve an explanation as to why this happened.
Without an explanation, suspicion runs rampant. The local news has indicated that this reversal is connected to the as-yet-unfiled lawsuit by the State Attorney General. Quotes attributed to city officials indicate this suit and the AG’s influence played a role in the decision – despite the fact that this suit is about administrative procedure and has simply nothing to do with whether a municipality can opt to protect its own citizens. If state officials are using their influence to interfere with local control on such important issues, that’s problematic to say the least.
The City of Sioux Falls has established a Compassionate Sioux Falls initiative to help “establish a community-wide plan of action to continue to bring compassion to life in Sioux Falls.” The City Council had a rare opportunity to exercise compassion and craft a policy to protect everyone within its borders from discrimination this week. Sadly, they utterly failed to do so.
