City's nondiscrimination law may widen to include gender and sexual orientation
Springfield News-Leader
Jonathan Shorman
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120206/NEWS06/302060041/City-s-nondiscrimination-law-may-widen-include-gender-sexual-orientation (http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120206/NEWS06/302060041/City-s-nondiscrimination-law-may-widen-include-gender-sexual-orientation)
Adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the ordinance is a goal listed in the commission's 2010 Strategic Plan. In its rationale, the commission said Springfield was the only metropolitan area in Missouri to exclude those phrases in nondiscrimination ordinances.
"Springfield needs to be a progressive, proactive community," the report reads.
Sexual orientation refers to whether or not someone is gay, straight or bisexual. Gender identity refers to how someone identifies themselves in terms of gender through masculine or feminine characteristics.