Valparaiso advisory council recommends LGBT protections

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) - An advisory council in Valparaiso has voted to recommend sending an ordinance to the City Council that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The (Munster) Times (http://bit.ly/1U6ry4a ) reports the city's Advisory Human Relations Council voted 6-2 Tuesday to recommend sending the ordinance to the City Council. The ordinance would also bar discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status and familial status.

Exemptions would include religious worship, clergy involved in religious duties and activities, and Christian organizations and schools.

Also called for by the ordinance is the establishment of a committee to determine whether there's a conflict.

Advisory council chair Heath Carter says the ordinance offers residents "a local, accessible means of having their concerns heard and addressed."

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com