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Jonesboro Mayor, City Council does not move on anti-discrimination stance

Four people went before the Jonesboro City Council last night, pleading with the council to include language that guarantees discrimination protection for gender identity and sexual orientation.  They stated that it was necessary to put those words in writing into the city’s employment handbook.  Dr. Joseph Rukus is the faculty advisor for the Gay-Straight Alliance at Arkansas State University. Rukus, who is gay, stated the city of Jonesboro and A-State do not have such guarantees written into their policies.  He says the lack of language in those policies is a problem for LGBT people.  Rukus says it also gives an impression that the city is not welcoming to LGBT people.

“The fact that this body has refused to give a public discussion and debate to changing EEOC language has brought back lingering doubts [about moving to Jonesboro].  Maybe I misread the welcome that I felt in this community,” said Rukus.  “I am here to ask that you show us that we are worthy of a public discussion and debate, and in the process, signal to us the value of our contributions to this community.”

Dr. Gary Latanich is an emeritus professor of economics at Arkansas State University.  He says such language written into policies can attract big businesses to Jonesboro.

“There are competitors in Arkansas (such as Conway, Little Rock, Hot Springs, Fayetteville) that are all saying the same thing.  They are saying that we will not discriminate against certain types of people.”  Latanich added, “We need industry wants an interstate system, such as I-555, and other things.  Do they want to be in a community that expressly says they don’t discriminate?  We don’t know for sure.  It is better to fail on the safe side and put this in writing that we do not discriminate.  If this becomes a big issue for a large company that wants to locate in Jonesboro, this kind of statement may be the one thing that it takes to get them here.”

Two ministers also pleaded with the City Council to bring up the policy for debate last night.  Dr. Norman Stafford is the community minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Jonesboro.  He says members of the LGBT people must have the same protections that are already listed in current policy.

“At the present time, members of the LGBTQ community employed, or to be employed by the city, are not guaranteed the justice enjoyed by citizens of Jonesboro because of their race or religion.  These groups have been rightfully singled out for protection because of discrimination they faced in the past.  Members of the LGBTQ community do not want special treatment, they want equal treatment with those who have already been given protection.”

This issue come to the forefront last month members of Arkansas State University’s Gay Straight Alliance wanted protection language to be placed in the city’s handbooks, which would require that those who work for the city or do services for the city not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  During a city council meeting that was held April 21st, Mayor Perrin read from a prepared statement saying he didn’t believe the extra protections were necessary.

“Our handbook states that it is a continuing policy of the city of Jonesboro to ensure equal employment opportunities in all personnel actions taken.  As for adding any other explicit defined protected classes, the administration does not feel it is necessary at this time.  Let me be very clear.  We are following and will continue to follow all federal and state laws in our hiring, promotion and employment practices.”

Dr. Chris Jones is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Jonesboro.  Last night, Jones commended Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin for stating publicly that Jonesboro does not tolerate any kind of discrimination.  Jones says the written policy should include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity because administrations do change.  He says he wants the protection to be there for future administrations:

“As a leader in your faith community, I am standing before you because I really do believe this is a justice issue,” stated Jones.  “This is an issue where the people who work for the city of Jonesboro and those who contract to provide services for the city of Jonesboro ought to be able to come and do their job and celebrate their job because they are capable of doing that job and not have to worry about losing their job because of who they love.”

After those pleas were made to open debate on the issue, Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin and members of the city council adjourned the meeting.  Perrin restated that the city’s current policy will not discriminate against anyone and did not see the need to change the city’s policy.  Perrin says he will meet privately with Dr. Rukus and members of the Gay-Straight Alliance.

Johnathan Reaves is the News Director for KASU Public Radio. As part of an Air Force Family, he moved to Arkansas from Minot, North Dakota in 1986. He was first bitten by the radio bug after he graduated from Gosnell High School in 1992. While working on his undergraduate degree, he worked at KOSE, a small 1,000 watt AM commercial station in Osceola, Arkansas. Upon graduation from Arkansas State University in 1996 with a degree in Radio-Television Broadcast News, he decided that he wanted to stay in radio news. He moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas and worked for East Arkansas Broadcasters as news director and was there for 16 years.