A person’s gender identity and genetic information could soon be protected under Fort Wayne’s human rights ordinance.
Councilwoman Karen Goldner, D-2nd, submitted a bill Friday to amend the law protecting people from discrimination.
Most notably, it would add gender identity to the protected classes locally. Goldner said the bill would put gender identity into the same category as sexual orientation, which is already protected under the law.
People who believe they have been discriminated against by a business based on sexual orientation can petition the city’s Metropolitan Human Relations Commission to investigate the complaint. The business can agree to a voluntary mediation process, but if the business rejects it, the process ends.
Gender-identity complaints, dealing with people who identify with a gender other than the one they were born as or who don’t conform to traditional gender roles, would be handled the same way.
Goldner said she has received support and opposition to the proposal, which she believes will be rarely used. She said it doesn’t provide special privileges to anyone but only ensures people are treated fairly.
“All of us are to be judged based on our skills, ability and work ethic,” she said.
The genetic information section follows the federal law preventing companies from using a person’s genetic information to discriminate. For example, Goldner said it would prevent an insurance company from denying health insurance to a woman who was found to have a gene linked to breast cancer.
She said the federal law was supported overwhelmingly and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission wants local ordinances to be similar to federal law. Goldner said she has received no public opposition to that section.
Adding the section locally also benefits residents and businesses that won’t have to go to Indianapolis to resolve complaints.
A separate section of the bill also allows Metro to investigate disability discrimination complaints without forcing people to prove they are disabled. Goldner said this section was done to comply with current federal practice.
