Sitting shoulder to shoulder, residents and business owners packed Tucker City Hall on May 8 as three city council members presented a non-discrimination ordinance. People filled the lobby, where they could barely hear council members discussing the future of an ordinance meant to fight prejudice.
Years in the making, the law is proposing to protect people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age and other factors.
Anti-LGBTQ laws are being introduced at an all-time high, doubling since last year. Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law to partially ban health services for transgender minors in March.
Leaders of Tucker Open Door have been asking Mayor Frank Auman and City Council members for attention to the matter since 2019.
In October 2021, days before the mayoral election, the City Council passed a resolution that critics called “unenforceable.” An ad hoc committee led by Mayor Pro Tem Anne Lerner and council members Cara Schroeder and Virginia Rece was formed in 2022 to study the issue. The ordinance is the work of that committee.
Co-founder of Tucker Open Door Damyon Claar-Pressley, who has served on the city’s Planning Commission and DDA, said every city surrounding Tucker has adopted a similar NDO “not in spite of it, but because of it.”
“Businesses want to locate where their employees want to live, and younger generations want to live in vibrant communities that are welcoming and nurturing to people from all walks of life,” said Claar-Pressley. “Consider the amount of due diligence and work that’s gone into crafting this ordinance, and pass it at your earliest convenience.”
Tucker has nearly 1,400 small businesses, said Auman, pointing out the ordinance was not affecting a small population of the city.
Half a dozen Christian faith leaders spoke on both sides of the issue. Some who feel that First Amendment rights are at risk called for a delay, claiming the law was moving too quickly.
“No matter how benevolent you guys are, you’re not the ones who enforce this. Once it’s passed, it’s the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law. It would be good if a law against discrimination did not in and of itself create a worse situation like what we’ve seen with the baker in Colorado…” said Pastor Steven Atkerson.
Residents shared personal experiences of bullying and violence. Former mayoral candidate Robin Biro, who identifies as a gay man, said he was targeted and assaulted during adolescence because of his sexual orientation.
“I urge you to pass the NDO and put in place provisions to protect the vulnerable among us from discrimination. This NDO will send the message that everyone who lives here or does business here will be treated equally with dignity and respect,” said Biro.
Auman plans to hold a town hall discussion at 7 p.m. on May 25.
“We have better options. We need to explore them. Tonight was the beginning of that,” said Auman.