Arlington, Texas City Council Drops LGBTQ Protections

CBS News reports:

After months of delays and debate on the city of Arlington’s anti-discrimination ordinance, on Tuesday, council members voted 5-4 not to reinstate the ordinance. “The motion fails. The anti-discrimination ordinance will remain suspended until further action by the council,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said after the vote was taken.

The ordinance, originally adopted in 2021, was temporarily suspended in September after city staff raised concerns that the ordinance would impact the city’s ability to receive federal funding, citing the Trump administration’s threat to withhold funds from cities with DEI programs. The issue has garnered national attention.

The Texas Tribune reports:

“I assure you all that in spite of the vote tonight, the City of Arlington remains committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable community for all residents, and ensuring that no one individual faces discrimination,” said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross after the vote. “I pledge to each and every one of y’all that we will continue to collaborate with community leaders, council members and city staff to reach a solution that is palatable to all.”

The city of nearly 400,000 is the first known municipality to act under the threat of President Donald Trump’s scrutiny. The administration has, in its first year, used executive orders to compel governments across the U.S. to remove language that includes transgender people, gender identity, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Federal policy experts have been skeptical of the tactic, warning that acting on executive orders — which are not written or passed by either chamber of the U.S. Congress — is premature.

The move was supported by the hate group Texas Values, whose leader Jonathan Saenz famously lost his wife to another woman. The usual cultists are celebrating on X and predicting that more cities will remove their LGBTQ protections.

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