Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 16:55:23 -0500 From: "David B. O'Donnell" Subject: Cleveland Civil Rights Referendum Originally posted by lahti@bportd.dnet.bp.com Subject: Cleveland Civil Rights Referendum Mayor Michael White gave the following speech in his State of the City Address. Needless to say, we are expecting an angry reaction from the right and will appreciate your support of Mayor White's plan. Letters of support can be sent to Mayor White via Stonewall Cleveland, P.O. Box 5936, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. "...While government reform and creating jobs is important, we must also continue the challenge of rooting out the last vestiges of discrimination and ethnic intimidation. While this City has a remarkable record in the area of reducing ethnic intimidation, it is now time that we confront, as a community, the question of discrimination against any citizen on the basis of sexual orientation. The question of an individual's sexual orientation has always been an issue of much social and emotional upheaval. The laws of our land should not be based upon prejudice, bigotry or bias, but based on the Constitution of the United States. And that Constitution, today as yesterday, guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all its citizens, regardless of sexual orientation. The laws of the land...of the State and the City are presumed to protect the rights of all citizens, but you know, as well as I, that this has not been the case. It is still not illegal in many places, including the City of Cleveland, to deny housing, employment, education and services to people strictly on the basis of their sexual orientation. This is wrong. It's wrong in Cleveland. It's wrong in Ohio and it's wrong for the country. I agree with Mrs. Coretta Scott King who recently made these observations: 'I strongly believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience'. As her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr., said: "Justice is indivisible". Like Martin and Mrs. King, I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others. I say to each and everyone of you today, my fellow citizens, as someone who has fought for civil rights and gone to jail for civil rights, I cannot in good conscience,fail in my responsibility to provide for further protection for people. Consequently, on Monday, January 10, 1994, as a part of my legislative package to Council, I will sponsor legislation that will protect any Clevelander from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic origin, Viet-Nam era, and disabled veteran status. Let it be said by the adults of today and the children of tomorrow that the Mayor of Cleveland and the City Council stood up for those who could not stand up for themselves... Stood up for those who have been the historical victims of a society that has divided its political responsibilities...Stood up for those who have not had the political power to stand up for themselves."... The legislation was introduced as promised and currently we are cautiously optimistic that Council will pass the entire legislative package by end- February. Stay tuned. In the meantime, your letters of support are critical.