Alabama: Birmingham City Council Passes Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, First In State

Years in the making, the Birmingham City Council has passed a fully inclusive non-discrimination ordinance - the first in the state of Alabama - by a unanimous vote of 7-0.

Mayor William Bell has announced he will sign the ordinance into law immediately.

Via Equality Alabama:

“Today is a monumental victory for everyone who lives and works in Birmingham who are now fully protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Before this ordinance was passed, you could get married on Saturday then on Monday be fired from your job, evicted from your home, or denied service because you’re LGBTQ,” said Alex Smith, executive director of Equality Alabama. “No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or whom they love, and Birmingham took action today to ensure that.”

"Today is a great day to be from Birmingham," said Fran Hutchins, Deputy Director of Equality Federation. "I'm so proud of Equality Alabama and their partners on the ground to make this important policy possible."

"Birmingham now joins more than 200 counties and cities in the United States that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Our neighbors in Jackson, MS, passed a fully inclusive non-discrimination ordinance over a year ago. In Alabama, both Huntsville and Mobile have human rights commissions, and Montevallo is poised to pass non-discrimination protections for its LGBTQ citizens.

The Human Rights Campaign issued this statement:

“Today, the City of Birmingham made history in Alabama by taking a crucial step toward ensuring LGBTQ residents are protected from discrimination,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “In doing so, Birmingham joins Jackson and Magnolia, Mississippi in setting an example for cities across the South to follow. Now, it is time for all southern cities to guarantee the right of LGBTQ people to live their lives free from discrimination.”