Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim asked the city to stand up against the recent LGBT discrimination legislation in North Carolina and the city council agreed in a unanimous vote.
Zakim filed an ordinance on March 28 that aimed to prohibit the City of Boston from financing travel to the Tar Heel State. The ordinance came in response to North Carolina’s enactment of House Bill 2 (HB 2), which, the city councilor points out, “bans people from using restrooms that do not match their so-called ‘birth gender,’ creates a statewide anti-discrimination law that fails to protect the LGBTQ community, and strips municipalities of their ability to enact stronger anti-discrimination laws.”
Zakim’s proposed ordinance, which makes small exceptions for public safety and contractual obligations, was introduced at the Wednesday, March 30, meeting of the full Boston City Council, which passed it with a unanimous vote.
“In Boston we take great pride in leading on issues of social justice and LGBTQ equality, and we have a continuing obligation to uphold this mission whenever there is an opportunity to do so,” said Zakim.
“That includes standing up and speaking out in the face of oppression and discrimination. HB 2 disrespects and denigrates all LGBTQ individuals who set foot in North Carolina, a group that includes many Boston residents. I intend to work with my colleagues and the Mayor to pass this ordinance as quickly as possible,” Zakim said.
Zakim, a Back Bay resident, attorney, and community activist, represents Boston’s District 8, the residents of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Kenmore Square, Mission Hill, Audubon Circle, and the West End.
