Oklahoma City has seen the need to pass the non-discrimination ordinance for the sake of those citizens who belong in the LGBT community who are looking for a new home to settle.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma TV station reported that the ordinance in denying housing to "LGBT people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity." According to the provisions of the said law, anyone who will deny the LGBT citizens is considered illegal and will be punishable by law.
"The law, which goes into effect next month, makes it illegal to deny rental housing, prevent the sale of a house or refuse to build a home for someone due to sexual orientation of gender identity," the report added, "The law also protects residents from discrimination on the basis of familial status, disability, race, color, sex, religion, creed, ancestry or national origin."
Resident Cindy Cason said that his gay son experienced discrimination when he was looking for his own house in the city. This is why she agrees to the ordinance and sees the high need to pass it as a law. She said, "Our children need the protections in whatever form you can offer them."
Although a lot of the citizens felt good with the ordinance, Mark Stonecipher, one city councilman, opposed to this since there are no formal complaints raised from LGBT community regarding these discrimination issues they experienced. He also said that he feared that this ordinance might interfere with religious freedom.
"Through HUD and the civil rights division of the attorney general's office, there should be complaints that are being filed and there should be empirical evidence of whether we know the answer to that and I don't think we have that," he said.
He added, "I want to make sure that we are putting something on the book that doesn't have constitutional implications that may affect the right to contract, freedom of religion, or may affect freedom of speech."
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett insisted that passing the ordinance is right and should be done as a law. "I just think discrimination is wrong and to a certain extent this has to do with the image of the city. Are we a city that's accepting, a city that's open-minded? I believe we are," he stated.
