![men assulted in gay pride miami men assulted in gay pride miami](http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/170626_atm_gay_pride_16x9_992.jpg)
The complaints in today's hearing reflected national themes. The council is now weighing a controversial ordinance to cover bathrooms and locker rooms. In that Ohio city, the city council banned discrimination against transgender people but did not explicitly ban discrimination in public restrooms. The debate over transgender rights in Miami-Dade County reflects several others underway in cities around the country, including Cleveland. That could change under a bi-partisan bill introduced into the Florida State Legislature that would ban discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity. Passing the law in Florida's largest jurisdiction may represent a tipping point for the state, where the Miami Herald reports 20 municipalities have passed anti-discrimination laws protecting transgender people, but there is no all-encompasing statewide law. The mayor will not veto - it will become law." Gimenez intends to sign the ordinance, mayoral spokesperson Mike Hernández told BuzzFeed News.
![men assulted in gay pride miami men assulted in gay pride miami](https://s31242.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/MiamiBeach.jpg)
The ordinance says religious institutions do not need to accommodate protected classes in noncommercial religious facilities. The ordinance adds transgender people to several protected classes under local law, which includes people of color, people of faith, and homosexuals. "When someone has been discriminated against, I don't care if it is one person, we were elected to defend those people and provide the protection that they need."
![men assulted in gay pride miami men assulted in gay pride miami](https://www.advocate.com/sites/advocate.com/files/2015/04/15/MB-PRIDE-2015-19.jpg)
"These are scare tactics." She also rebutted a common complaint that the ordinance was unnecessary. "It's a scare tactic when we come down to the bathrooms and locker rooms," said Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, one of the ordinance's primary co-sponsors.
![men assulted in gay pride miami men assulted in gay pride miami](https://meaws.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GettyImages-824194930-1515262319-15152623211.jpg)
"It is a concern for the safety of their family."īut in the end, a majority of the commission rejected a bathroom amendment and sided with supporters of the ordinance, who characterized the measure as a basic civil right. "We have to be mindful of a segment of the population, who is probably a majority, who is very concerned with this issue," he said. He would only support the ordinance if it carved out an exception so it did not apply to transgender people using public bathrooms. "There are cases of the deviants who will take advantage of this," said Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who represents suburban Miami. Pastors, parents, teens, and seniors expressed particular concern that the measure would grant sexual predators a carte blanche to prowl women's bathrooms. In an 8-3 vote Tuesday night, the Miami-Dade County board of commissioners passed an ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on a person's gender identity in housing, employment, and public accommodations.īut the commisisoners' decision was not without objection - nor did they reach it quickly.Ĭritics came in droves, packing seats at Miami-Dade County Hall and waiting for hours to testify against the ordinance.