Palm Bay weighs human rights ordinance

A Palm Bay "human rights ordinance" would prohibit gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people from being unfairly fired from jobs or evicted by landlords based on discrimination, Councilwoman Michele Paccione says.

But language inside the ordinance could open the door for heterosexual sexual predators to pose as transgender men and sneak into ladies' restrooms at parks, malls and schools — where they could spy on or attack women and children, Councilman Harry Santiago says.

Palm Bay's proposed ordinance would ensure "freedom from discrimination because of age, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, familial status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression." The 25-page ordinance contains sections prohibiting discrimination at the workplace, public accommodations and housing.

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The Palm Bay City Council will debate the topic Thursday night. No Brevard County municipalities have adopted such an ordinance.

According to Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, 42 Sunshine State cities and counties have adopted such ordinances.

“LGBT people — and many people don’t know this — can be fired simply for being LGBT,"  said Gina Duncan, Equality Florida's transgender inclusion director, during a Jan. 19 City Council meeting, where the topic was tabled.

"So someone can get married on Saturday, come in on Monday with a picture of their wedding day, and be fired for being gay. Unless we have a fully inclusive human rights ordinance,” Duncan said.

However, Santiago opposes the proposed ordinance. He has posted links on his official Facebook page leading to stories about cross-dressing men invading women's restrooms and locker rooms.

"I believe that I have a constitutional duty to provide and defend the safety and welfare of the public. And I want to make sure that women, and especially children, are protected," he said.

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Santiago cited two secondary reasons for his opposition. First, he said the ordinance would infringe on the rights of churches that oppose renting their houses of worship for LGBT weddings. Second, he worries that the ordinance would expose City Hall, Palm Bay businesses and the real estate industry to litigation — particularly frivolous class-action lawsuits from people claiming discrimination.

Duncan and Paccione, who supports the proposed the ordinance, said there is no evidence linking such laws with perverted bathroom behavior. Paccione said she wants Palm Bay to be a welcoming place for everyone, including LGBT residents and visitors.

"I'm in the real estate industry. It protects them from their landlords. It protects them when they buy a house. It protects them if they want to stay at a hotel," Paccione said.

On Jan. 19, City Council tabled the ordinance until Thursday. But a series of public speakers criticized the ordinance, including a trio of Palm Bay religious leaders: Randy Nash, senior minister of Palm Bay Christian Church; Tom Walker, pastor of CenterPointe Church; and David Myers, senior pastor of First Pentecostal Church of Palm Bay.

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Myers asked council members to “make sure we’re not just being railroaded by advocacy groups that are coming in from out of town and pushing this through in Palm Bay.”

Bill Rettinger, region director for the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus and state president of the Democratic Disability Caucus of Florida, introduced the topic last July by submitting a proposed ordinance for consideration. He unsuccessfully ran for City Council in 2012 and 2014.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter

HRO debate is Tuesday

The Palm Bay City Council will discuss a proposed human rights ordinance Thursday at City Hall, 120 Malabar Road.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m.