About 50 people filled the council chamber and lined the hallways outside watching the proceedings on monitors as Georgetown considered the first reading of a fairness ordinance.
Over two hours, about two dozen people took turns at the podium to express their opinions about the ordinance that Mayor Tom Prather explained is aimed to eliminate housing and employment discrimination for the LGBTQ community.
There was no middle ground among the speakers.
Many of those against the ordinance said they were local pastors, sharing a reflection of their faith in their opinion. Rob Muncy leads Gano Baptist Church. He says gender identity is clearly defined in the Bible as a man and a woman and shouldn’t be a protected class in a city ordinance. He also says such protections aren’t needed.
Ordinance supporter Millie Wrobleski said she didn’t intend to speak but felt compelled to make a case for the ordinance. Discrimination in Georgetown, she said, is real and many young people and families don’t feel safe in a place without fairness protections.
Overall, about 2/3 of the speakers opposed the ordinance and one third expressed support.
The second reading of the ordinance and a council vote is scheduled for Sept. 9. A previous effort to approve a fairness ordinance failed.
