The first openly gay elected official of Jacksonville, Ill.Ald. Scott Tinsley-Hallis working to add sexual orientation to the conservative downstate community's Human Relations and Disabilities Commission Ordinance.
Jacksonville's human-rights commission was established in 1964. Like most non-discrimination laws, the original ordinance prohibits discrimination based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status and unfavorable discharge from military service. The Jacksonville commission added physically and mentally disabled people to the list of protected groups in 2008.
"Jacksonville is progressive enough, I think we can add sexual orientation to that clause," Tinsley-Hall said. "So the city attorney helped me draft proposal and we submitted it to the aldermen."
No objections were raised when the ordinance change was first submitted to aldermen Aug. 24, Tinlsey-Hall said. The council will formally consider the change Monday, Sept. 14, and a vote is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28.
Ald. Michelle Hinchen, who was elected to the council at the same time as Tinsley-Hall in April, said she supports adding sexual orientation to the ordinance.
"My reaction initially was, 'Of course, why not?'" Hinchen said. "I think it is something that should be in there."
Hinchen said Tinsley-Hall's public presence as an openly gay alderman and as an active member of the community with his husband, Joel Tinsley-Hall, has sparked discussions in Jacksonville about sexual orientation and discrimination.
"Scott is very open with his lifestyle, and I think that is something that is a real positive," Hinchen said. " [ He and Joel ] are very comfortable with who they are, and they give so much of themselves and their talents to the community."
Perhaps unexpectedly, Tinsley-Hall is a Republican. He said his party affiliation is largely driven by his economic views, and he said he believes that homophobia is just as prevalent among conservative Democrats as it is in parts of the Republican Party.
"Social issues to me are more driven from the ground up, society really dictates where we go on social issues," he said. "And economic issues are driven from top down, so that is why I have always associated myself with the Republican Party."
Tinsley-Hall said he has been interested in politics since his childhood. He decided to run for his first elected office a few years after he and Joel moved to Jacksonville from Seattle. So far, Tinsley-Hall said he has been well-received by other council members and the community as the first out elected official.
"It's a fairly conservative area we live in," he said. "I've kind of broken the mold since I got elected to the city council this year."