On Dec. 19, the Indianapolis city council narrowly approved a measure, Proposition 622, that bans discrimination against LGBT individuals in the areas of housing, employment, and public accommodations.
According to Advocate.com, after the same measure failed last April on an 18–11 vote, three Democrats and one Republican changed course, resulting in a 15–14 vote to enact the pro-gay protections. The Indianapolis Star reported that sexual orientation and gender identity will be added to the list of classes specifically protected from discrimination in the workplace and housing market. City and state government hiring policies already include such protections. The ordinance extends them to any business with six or more employees, excluding religious institutions and certain non-profit organizations.
The pro-LGBT contingent immediately praised the passage of the measure. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said that “[t]he city council sent a clear message that Indianapolis values all of its citizens and will tolerate discrimination against no one.” Rev. Jeff Miner, pastor of Indianapolis’s Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, e-mailed Windy City Times that the “[p]assage of Proposition 622 is an example of what can happen when the GLBT community works together cooperatively…. The Indianapolis City/County Council has rejected discrimination. I believe God is looking down on Indianapolis and smiling.”