A
City Council member in Shreveport, La., has abandoned his effort to
repeal an LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance, following outcry
from the public, including a transgender woman who dared him to stone
her to death.
The
council passed the ordinance in December by a vote of 6-1, following a
successful campaign by a pro-LGBT coaltion known as Be Fair Shreveport.
The ordinance, which bans discrimination in housing and employment
within city limits on the basis of sexual orientation or gender
identity, received its lone "no" vote from Councilman Ron Webb. During
the council's debate last December, Webb voiced his opposition, saying,
"The Bible tells you homosexuals are an abomination," adding that he
does not socialize with LGBT people, according to TV station KSLA.
Ten
days after the council approved the ordinance, Webb drafted a proposal
designed to repeal the nondiscrimination policy. On Tuesday, dozens of
people registered to testify at the City Council meeting, ready to speak
out against Webb's measure, report Lone Star Q.
But
none were quite as bold as Pamela Raintree, a transgender woman.
Raintree called out the Bible-quoting councilman, daring him to stone
her to death.
"Leviticus
20:13 states, 'If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman,
they shall surely put him to death,'" Raintree began. "I brought the
first stone, Mr. Webb, in case that your Bible talk isn't just a smoke
screen for personal prejudices."
Webb withdrew his repeal measure just minutes later, without calling for a vote.
Watch the confrontation below via TV station KMSS.
No comments:
Post a Comment