Mecklenburg Sexual Orientation

Story >

Mecklenburg Adds Sexual Orientation To Policy

Special Report - May 19, 2005
Mecklenburg County can no longer deny individuals employment based on their practice of homosexuality after the Board of County Commissioners voted on May 17 to revise the county’s non-discrimination policy to include “sexual orientation.” County commissioners approved the change by a 6 to 3 margin following several hours of contentious debate Tuesday night. The original non-discrimination policy prohibited discrimination solely on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and age.

Approval of the revision constitutes another chapter in the heated debate surrounding homosexual rights in Mecklenburg County. County Commissioner Chairman Parks Helms, who voted in favor of inserting “sexual orientation” into the county’s non-discrimination policy on Tuesday, proposed a change in April that would allow homosexual couples to receive domestic partner benefits. While no action has been taken on that proposal, a number of objections have been raised, including concerns over its moral implications, validity under state law, and potential to increase medical expenses in the county. Only two counties and three municipalities in North Carolina have approved domestic partner benefits to this point.