Jacksonville Civic Council: HRO expansion is ‘essential’

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Civic Council reiterated a stance made before: support of expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance to the LGBT community.

The HRO is nearly a quarter-century old; activists and community stakeholders want to see sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression added as protected classes.

The civic council chairman, Ed Burr, wrote the city council Tuesday, expressing “the Jacksonville Civic Council’s strong support for a Human Rights Ordinance that protects all residents of our city from discrimination.”

“Passage of this ordinance is a top priority for the Civic Council and the area business community,” Burr wrote of the bill, a “Jacksonville solution to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Burr also deemed the bill “essential to the economic future of our community,” noting that the measure has carve outs for “religious freedom and protecting small business from experiencing an undue burden.”

Burr opined that the “pending legislation addresses concerns voiced by local faith leaders and the small business community.

“We believe that now is the time for Jacksonville to join the majority of Florida and U.S. cities in affirmatively protecting its citizens from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. There is no doubt that this Human Rights Ordinance will strengthen our economy, attract people and businesses to Jacksonville, and advance a culture of fairness and respect for all.”

Mayor Lenny Curry will hold a 2:00 p.m. presser with HRO advocates, such as Jax Chamber chair Darnell Smith, present.

Will the HRO come up?