Chapel Hill joins neighbors, becomes 3rd NC town to pass LGBTQ discrimination protection
Chapel Hill is the third local town in North Carolina to approve a policy this week that protects LGBTQ residents from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations, including stores and restaurants.
The Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously approved the policy Wednesday night. The first two LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies in the state were approved by Hillsborough’s Town Board on Monday and the Carrboro Town Council on Tuesday.
The state’s three-year ban on local anti-discrimination policies expired Dec. 1, giving local governments an opening to take action. The state still regulates who can use multi-occupancy bathrooms, showers and changing rooms.
Chapel Hill council member Karen Stegman, who is gay, said she has waited since being elected to her seat for the opportunity to vote on the anti-discrimination measure.
“Especially at a time when leadership is failing us so visibly and disappointingly at the federal level, local action is all the more important, and I’m just so proud that after this vote, I will be able to say to the LGBTQ community, including my wife and my kids, that from this day forward, not only are you welcome, but you are safe and you are protected in Chapel Hill,” Stegman said.
“That will mean so much to so many people,” she said.
The new rules prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, as well as race, age, creed, national origin or ancestry, marital or familial status, pregnancy, veteran status, religious belief, disability, ethnicity and color.
The new policies come five years after the North Carolina legislature passed the controversial House Bill 2, known as the “bathroom bill.” Among many provisions, it required people to use the bathroom that corresponded to the gender on their birth certificate.
But HB2 also banned LGBTQ protections and blocked local governments from passing discrimination protections or requiring employers to pay a higher minimum wage. It spawned a nationwide backlash, costing North Carolina and its cities out-of-state visitors, business investments, conventions and sporting events, including the ACC Championship.
In 2017, state lawmakers approved a compromise — House Bill 142— to replace HB2. While the ban on local anti-discrimination rules, a key part of HB142, expired in December, local elected officials had not said whether they would attempt passing new rules.
Senate Leader Phil Berger, in an interview posted Tuesday on Twitter, said he had not read the Orange County policies yet, and no lawmakers have approached him about responding.
“I think it is something that there will be some conversations about, but my thought is that the more likely next step for folks that have concerns about what may be taking place would be those people who might be directly impacted in a way, maybe on their religious liberties, their businesses, or something,” Berger said. “I think the courts probably will be the appropriate forum for us to look at it.”
Tami Fitzgerald, leader of the conservative Christian group N.C. Values Coalition, has warned local governments that their anti-discrimination policies could bring legal challenges.
LGBTQ advocates respond
LGBTQ advocates, including the Campaign for Southern Equality and Equality NC, have cheered the tide of anti-discrimination policies that are being implemented now.
Elected officials and advocates have said they hope that a few towns taking the first step will encourage others to follow suit.
“For too long, North Carolina has lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to protecting LGBTQ folks and creating a culture where our most vulnerable can thrive,” said Kendra Johnson, executive director of Equality North Carolina. “The tides are changing, and we hope other cities and towns across our state will be encouraged by these victories and do the right thing for their own citizens in the weeks ahead.”
Orange County has a reputation for progressive policies in North Carolina, including having the first domestic partner registries, benefits for government employees in domestic partnerships, and inclusive LGBTQ personnel and contracting policies.
The county’s residents also have elected nine LGBTQ officials to local offices, including two of North Carolina’s first three openly gay mayors, former Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson and former Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt. Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle is the state’s first lesbian mayor.
The Orange County commissioners and Durham City Council are expected to approve their anti-discrimination policies next week.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 9:53 PM with the headline "Chapel Hill joins neighbors, becomes 3rd NC town to pass LGBTQ discrimination protection."
