Indianapolis City Council President Steve Talley announced that he would back an effort to ban sexual orientation discrimination, reversing his position and giving gay-rights supporters a vital boost, according to IndyStar.com .
Talley, a Democrat, was one of 18 councilmembers who voted against the human-rights ordinance in April in a decision that crossed party lines. Sponsors Jackie Nytes, a Democrat, and Scott Keller, a Republican, re-introduced the proposal in November. Talley became the second vote they have gained of the four needed to ensure the ban passes.
The Rules and Public Policy Committee was scheduled to vote on the measure Nov. 13, and it could come before the full council Jan. 5.
Several meetings with small groups of LGBT people changed his mind, Talley said, about the need for protection for gays. At those meetings, he said, people could share their opinions without fearing retaliation from their employers or landlords. Talley also indicated that another aspect that factored into the equation is that the city's Division of Equal Opportunity can handle enforcement of the law without further expense.
The anti-discrimination ordinance would protect LGBT people from being fired or denied housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. City and state employee hiring policies already include such protections, but the ordinance would extend the same requirements to any businesses with six or more employees, excluding religious institutions and certain non-profit organizations. In Indiana, the cities of Bloomington, Michigan City, West Lafayette, Lafayette and Fort Wayne already have passed similar ordinances.