ClTY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR SUBJECT: INITIATED BY:

MARCH 7.201 1

SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN EQUALITY BILL OFFICE OF MAYOR JO (Fran Solomon, Council D (Guy Lande, Council Inter

STATEMENT ON THE SUBJECT: The City Council will consider adopting a resolution in support of The American Equality Bill, AEB. RECOMMENDATIONS:

1) Adopt Resolution No. II, "A RESOLUTION OF THE ClTY COUNCIL OF THE ClTY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD IN SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN EQUALITY BILL".

2) Direct Staff to send letters to Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Henry Waxman, asking them to sponsor the bill.
3) Direct Staff to send copies of the signed resolution to: Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Representative Henry Waxman, the AEB organizers, Human Rights Campaign, Equality California, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Pride @ Work, and the ACLU. BACKGROUND ANALYSIS: The American Equality Bill or AEB, is an effort to grant legal equality to the LGBT community. Currently, "race, color, sex, national origin and religion" are all protected from discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, The Government Employees Act, and the Civil Service Reform Act. The American Equality Bill would amend these legislative measures to give sexual orientation and gender identity the same protections provided to race, color, religion, sex and national origin. It also would amend discriminatory language in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. The American Equality Bill is the product of over a year's work by Juan AhonenJover at eQualityGiving.org, ActOnPrinciples.org, and Karen Doering, the bill's

AGENDA ITEM

2.Q

drafter and the former senior counsel to the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The organizers behind the AEB are currently in the process of meeting with members of Congress to secure a bill sponsor. Additionally, long-time LGBT activist Richard Noble will be kicking of a march across America starting in San Francisco on March 12th to raise awareness about the bill. Roughly 40 percent of the population of the City of West Hollywood identifies as LGBT and the city has championed LGBT rights since its was founded in 1984. The City Council has supported a number of equality measures in the past, such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and they have consistently opposed discriminatory legislation such as California's Proposition 8 and the Federal Government's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Support of the American Equality Bill would continue the City Council's precedent of working toward antidiscriminatory measures and it would align with their ongoing legislative priority to work toward equality and justice for all people. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH: Support of this measure is consistent with the City of West Hollywood's goal of promoting public health because granting legal equality to the LGBT community will allow those individuals greater access to the integral health services provided by a number of laws, most notably the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. EVALUATION: Follow up with bill authors regarding the status of bill sponsorship. CONFORMANCE WITH VISION 2020: Co-sponsorship of this item is consistent with West Hollywood's core value of treating all individuals with respect for their personal dignity. OFFICE OF PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY: Office of Mayor John Heilman. FISCAL IMPACT: None.

RESOLUTION NO. 11-NNNN A RESOLUTION OF THE ClTY COUNCIL OF THE ClTY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED AMERICAN EQUALITY BILL WHEREAS, a central tenant of United States law is the principle of nondiscrimination and equal protection under the law as human rights; and WHEREAS, the American Equality Bill is an effort to grant legal equality to LGBTQ people in the United States; and WHEREAS, under current law, the status of "race, color, sex, national origin and religion" is each rightly protected from discrimination by society and government under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, The Government Employees Act, and the Civil Service Reform Act; and WHEREAS, members of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered and queer communities, face historical and on-going discrimination based on their innate status, causing untallied human tragedy, loss of life, psychological damage, and abuse that necessitates a comprehensive response by the Federal government; and WHEREAS, members of the grassroots LGBTQ community seek to add "sexual orientation and gender identity1'equally to all of America's nondiscrimination laws referenced herein, both to advance this urgent cause for justice, and to rebuke homophobia and transphobia with the full force of official United States governmental policy and the full enforcement power of the Office of Attorney General; and WHEREAS, the proposed American Equality Bill, AEB seeks to add "sexual orientation and gender identity" to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, The Government Employees Act, and the Civil Service Reform Act, as well as amend language in the Americans With Disabilities Act and The Family and Medical Leave Act to bring those laws in line with equal protection of the law; and WHEREAS, the American Equality Bill is an effort to ignite the civil rights movement of the 21'' century to liberate the LGBTQ community in America; and WHEREAS, from March to October, 201 I , the "National Civil Rights March Across America" will traverse the country from West Hollywood to Washington, D.C. to raise this demand; and

WHEREAS, the City of West Hollywood, since its incorporation in 1984, has been on the forefront of advocacy for LGBTQ equality and hereby supports the urgent demand for immediate inclusion of "sexual orientation and gender identity" in all laws of the United States created to end discrimination in this county:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of West Hollywood hereby supports The American Equality Bill and its important effort to grant futl inclusion of "sexual orientation and gender identity" in the above referenced laws, and calls upon the United States Congress to take action forthwith to fulfill this duty and achieve this goal.