At the Wednesday October 28 Steward’s Council Meeting, the Steward’s Council voted to endorse One Kalamazoo’s campaign to support Kalamazoo’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance.
On June 9, 2009 a unanimous vote of the Kalamazoo City Commission expanded the city’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Those expansions are currently suspended, and will be removed from the ordinance unless Kalamazoo votes YES on November 3.
By its vote, the GEO Steward’s Council indicates its agreement with One Kalamazoo’s belief that all people—including gay and transgender people—should be treated fairly and equally where they live and work.
GEO members who support One Kalamazoo’s campaign can help in many ways, but the most valuable ways to help at this point in the campaign are to make a personal donation to the campaign or to travel to Kalamazoo to help canvas and get out the vote.
For more information about making a donation, go to: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/onekalamazoo
If you’d like to help with canvassing, email umgeo@umich.edu and we’ll work with you to find other GEO members to carpool with!
GEO has a long history of supporting expansions of rights and increased respect for Transgender, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual persons. In 1975, GEO and Ann Arbor’s Transport Employees Union became the first labor unions in the United States to negotiate contracts which included protections for queer folk in their non-discrimination clauses. Over the years GEO has continued to fight to make sure that all of our members have equal access to health care benefits, jobs, and respect at work regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
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