Fort Worth debate leads to protecting gender choice

By MIKE NORMAN

mnorman@star-telegram.com

You could tell from what was said at Tuesday night’s Fort Worth City Council meeting that there was a lot of resentment running just beneath the surface.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were there to advocate expanding a city ordinance to outlaw discrimination based on transgender traits, gender expression and gender identity. They decried "fear tactics" and "smear campaigns" from those who oppose their lifestyle and said Fort Worth should be known as an "inclusive" city.

Opponents of the ordinance called it "unwarranted and unenforceable," blamed advocates for adopting a "victim mentality" and implored the council, "Please do not make this the San Francisco of the South," referring to that city’s reputation as a haven for homosexuals.

Remarkably, in a tough, almost four-hour debate, the resentment between the two sides stayed beneath the surface. It never boiled over, never produced personal insults, never a shout. Maybe that’s because Mayor Mike Moncrief said at the beginning that he wouldn’t allow such things, and he hovered over the proceedings like a young girl’s daddy at a junior high dance. Still the civility was significant for an event charged with deep personal, moral, even religious convictions.

The meeting was educational. Even some council members admitted prior ignorance of the most relevant terms: transgender, gender expression and gender identity.

And the best thing is that the debate was settled. Three council members — Jungus Jordan, Carter Burdette and Danny Scarth — asked for a delay so they could study the issue more. But five others and the mayor were ready to approve the ordinance, and they did.

"We could probably wordsmith this for two or three weeks and not have a better solution than we have tonight," said Councilman Zim Zimmerman.

Earlier in the day, ordinance opponents had listed him as possibly on their side. They were wrong.

The anti-discrimination ordinance, which focuses on access to places of public accommodation, employment and housing, already protected homosexual men and women. That comes under the heading of sexual orientation, a term one woman explained as dealing with "who I feel attracted to."

The city’s Human Relations Commission advocated expansion of the ordinance, a change it had been considering since February. The change outlaws discrimination based on:

Transgender — Defined as "a person who experiences and/or expresses their gender differently from conventional or cultural expectations including but not limited to those who express a gender that does not match the sex listed on their original birth certificate." It’s an umbrella term encompassing both gender expression and gender identity.

Gender expression — Refers to "a person’s external characteristics and behaviors including, but not limited to, dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns and social interactions that are socially identified with a particular gender." One speaker said it means "how I portray myself to the world."

Gender identity — A person’s "innate, deeply felt sense of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person’s body or sex listed on their original birth certificate." A speaker said it’s "which gender I know I am."

Throughout the meeting, opponents of the ordinance insisted that they are against discrimination. But they argued that the new ordinance would promote the gay lifestyle, even a "gay agenda," provide a basis for "malicious litigation," grant rights based on "a behavioral choice," and should be put to a vote of Fort Worth residents rather than being adopted by the council.

Proponents argued for respect. Said a woman whose daughter is now her transgendered son, "There is nothing wrong with him."

Zimmerman, in voting for the ordinance, had a few words for those who say they oppose discrimination: "You can talk all day long about what you believe, but if you don’t act out that belief, then [the omission] becomes apparent to everybody."

Tough words. Tough debate. Civil debate. Good outcome.

Mike Norman is editorial director of the Star-Telegram/ Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County. 817-390-7830

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