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Greenwood starts study committee to review possible LGBT protection

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Greenwood’s city council members heard opinions on a possible future non-discrimination ordinance in their meeting Wednesday night.

Council members did not take sides on this issue.

They listened to public comment and word from the city’s mayor about how to move forward.

It’s an issue that brings out strong passion on both sides, for and against a non-discrimination ordinance for the LGBT community.

“I think it’s time for Greenwood to step up and protect its citizens and patrons of its business from discrimination,” Greenwood resident Matthew Smith said.

“They’ve been granted more special privileges than probably any other subgroup in our society and yet they’re still fighting for more,” resident Joshua Beecham said.

Greenwood is the latest Indiana city to address the issue after the RFRA debate last year.

“It’s coming to light and we want to be sensitive to the LGBT community,” Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said, “We know that they play a very important role in our city.”

The state legislature hasn’t succeeded in passing any statewide laws.

So cities like Bloomington, Zionsville, and Carmel have all passed protection ordinances for their citizens.

Now Smith wants one for his city.

“I’d love for it to be a state issue. I really would love for us not to be here and have to do this, but the state’s failed two sessions in a row to do this so it’s better to have it now in a piecemeal way than not have it at all,” Smith said.

Others in the community who spoke at the city council meeting are against the idea.

“I believe that giving the LGBT community what they’re asking for takes Greenwood farther away from the traditional Judeo-Christian values that have formed the bedrock of society for millennia,” Beecham said.

Mayor Mark Myers spoke in favor of an ordinance to protect LGBT residents and visitors to the city.

He’s forming a study committee to see how that action could impact Greenwood.

“We don’t want to take it too extreme and we don’t want to make it too basic, we want to make something that fits best for our community,” Myers said.

There’s no timeline on this ordinance.

Myers wants to make sure they take enough time and hear from all parties that could be impacted before bringing an ordinance before the council.