Kokomo council to vote on adding LGBT protections

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) - The city of Kokomo could become the latest Indiana city to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Kokomo Common Council is scheduled to vote Monday on extending protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. That proposal would also bar discrimination based on a person's marital status, age or veteran status.

Councilman Steve Whikehart tells The Kokomo Tribune (http://bit.ly/1VYXN38 ) the goal is to "encompass as many of our citizens as humanely possibly."

Several Indiana cities, including Columbus and Terre Haute, have adopted similar protections since last spring's uproar over Indiana's religious objections law.

Those local ordinances would have been barred by a Republican-sponsored bill that would have extended anti-discrimination protections only to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

But lawmakers pulled that bill from consideration last month.

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com