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March 2007 Candidate Survey Responses View this Freedom Watch issue as a pdf file: (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader Mayoral Candidates (pg. 2, pg. 3)
Articles (click on a link to jump to that article): Pikes Peak Equality Coalition Collaborates for Candidate Survey City Council & The Equal Opporunity Ordinance
Pikes Peak Equality Coalition Collaborates for Candidate Survey The Candidate Survey included in this Freedom Watch issue has an exciting new feature! For the first time ever, the questions in the survey were compiled by a coalition of organizations in Colorado Springs. The Pikes Peak Equality Coalition (PPEC) is a roundtable of non-profit organizations in the Pikes Peak region. PPEC shares the values of justice and equality, personal privacy, and vibrant and sustainable community. PPEC wanted to provide the citizens of Colorado Springs with one comprehensive Candidate Survey for the April 2007 Municipal Elections, rather than each organization printing their own. The survey on the following pages was created by PPEC in hopes of educating citizens on all the city council and mayoral candidates and on the issues that are most important to all PPEC organizations. We hope that you enjoy reading this collaborated survey! For more information on PPEC or to join the coalition, please email minister@hpcuu.org PPEC organizations include: ACLU of Colorado, Citizens Project, Colorado Progressive Coalition, Colorado Unity, Inter-Religious Clergy Alliance, League of Women Voters – Pikes Peak Region, NAACP, Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Community Center, Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and TESSA. City Council & The Equal Opportunity Ordinance Since the early 1990’s, securing equal access to the law in matters of employment, housing, and public accommodations has been an ongoing struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Colorado. In 1992, the discussion of adding sexual orientation to Colorado Springs’ nondiscrimination policies came to a screeching halt when Colorado Springs-based groups, like Focus on the Family and Colorado for Family Values, urged the passage of Amendment 2—a constitutional measure designed to bar gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from having equal access to employment, housing, and public accommodations. Fortunately, Colorado courts overturned the measure; and in 1996, the United States Supreme Court said in regards to Amendment 2, “…this, Colorado cannot do.” Since 1996, several attempts have been made to secure equal opportunity for LGBT people in the Pikes Peak region. On October 9, 2006, the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center appeared before City Council in response to continued reports of discrimination faced by LGBT people in Colorado Springs. They requested that the City Council enact a broad-based Equal Opportunity Ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, or physical or mental disability in matters of employment, housing and commercial space, public accommodations, education and health, and welfare services within the City of Colorado Springs. Following the presentation, Mayor Rivera stated that the council would require guidance from the City Attorney’s office before making any decisions about an Equal Opportunity Ordinance. On November 14, 2006, Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center (also known as the Pride Center) officials received a phone call from Mayor Rivera. He stated he had received a conclusion from the City Attorney’s office indicating the following: 1) Discrimination based on sexual orientation is already prohibited in matters of City employment, the City’s landlord tenant policies, City-run education programs, and City-owned public accommodations; and 2) The City does not have the authority to pass a nondiscrimination policy that would affect privately held businesses and organizations. According to the City Attorney’s office, Citizens Project’s “Resolution Promoting Goodwill and Mutual Respect and Condemning Racism and Discrimination in Colorado Springs” (drafted in 2003) provides the necessary language to protect GLBT from discrimination. Although Mayor Rivera’s response sounded reasonable on the surface, his statements and the related documents leave some unanswered questions. If LGBT people already have protections, where can they go, and who can they contact if their rights are violated? Secondly, why does Colorado Springs not have the authority to pass a policy that would impact privately held businesses when, in fact, the cities of Denver and Boulder already have city-wide policies? Private businesses are already held accountable to other federal and state standards of nondiscrimination including race, religion, and gender. On December 4, 2006, the Pride Center sent a letter to the City Attorney’s Office requesting written confirmation of the policies, and they requested documentation of the grievance processes in place for LGBT people to access in the event of discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of City employment, the City’s landlord tenant policies, City-run education programs, and City-owned public accommodations. On December 22, 2006, the Pride Center received a letter from the City Attorney’s office stating the City Attorney’s Office could not provide legal advice to entities other than the City government. While the City of Colorado Springs and the Pride Center discussed the possibility of a city-wide Equal Opportunity Ordinance, the state and federal governments were at work on similar issues. In September 2006, the Colorado Civil Rights division ruled that transgender people in Colorado are, in fact, covered under “gender” in the state’s nondiscrimination policies and laws pertaining to employment, housing, and public accommodations. Additionally, the state of Colorado considered passing a state-wide Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) for the ninth time. ENDA prohibited all employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity (as well as several other factors).The act passed through the Colorado State Legislature several years in a row only to be vetoed by former Governor Bill Owens. ENDA is currently pending in Colorado legislature once again, and sources say it is extremely likely the bill will pass under the newly elected Governor Bill Ritter. Therefore, if these acts are passed at the state and/or federal levels, LGBT people in the City of Colorado Springs will, without a doubt, have equal protection under the law in matters of employment whether or not City Council passes the Equal Opportunity Ordinance. However, passing the Equal Opportunity Ordinance in order to gain civil equality for LGBT people in Colorado Springs is but one of the goals of the Pride Center and its allies in the Pikes Peak Equality Coalition. For years, the Pride Center and its progressive allies have argued that while people may have different opinions or religious beliefs, all people—regardless of sexual orientation—deserve equal protection under the law, specifically in matters of employment, housing, and public accommodations. In fact, because of a potential conflict with our country’s strongly-held belief in religious freedom, the Equal Opportunity Ordinance purposefully provides exemptions for religious organizations. Whatever one’s beliefs may be, statistics show that coming together in providing equal rights is not only the right thing to do, it’s good for business. Companies like Wells Fargo and Starbucks built their wealth on the premise that diversity—and actively promoting diversity through programs and polices—is key to doing good business. At a time when Intel’s layoffs have impacted more than 3,000 jobs, it is important for city leaders to consider what is best for the city. Like Wells Fargo and Starbucks, the city of Colorado Springs could benefit economically from promoting diversity in its programs and policies. Has refusing to provide a PrideFest Proclamation brought more jobs to Colorado Springs? Has stripping away health benefits for LGBT City employees strengthened the City in any way? Passing the Equal Opportunity Ordinance not only provides important protections for the people and taxpayers of Colorado Springs, it sends a message that Colorado Springs—while diverse in its opinions—regards the fundamental rights of all of its citizens as a top priority. This message is essential to building and maintaining a strong economy and a vibrant community. It is time for Colorado Springs to have a City Council that will take a leading role in strengthening the City’s economy and recognizing that actively promoting the diversity of our community is essential to our community’s success. City Council Elections are April 3rd. To see each candidate’s stance on passing an Equal Opportunity Ordinance, read their responses beginning on page 2 of this issue!
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