The city of Plano released a statement Dec. 30 asking the public to seek out information about the recently expanded Equal Rights Ordinance on the city's website.
The statement says much of the misinformation circulating about the ordinance revolves around the policies for bathrooms and religious beliefs.
The ordinance does not regulate bathrooms, but rather allows business owners to continue segregating bathrooms based on physical anatomy, according to the statement. The ordinance says a person of one sex can be denied access to facilities such as restrooms or locker rooms if the facility has been designated to the opposite sex.
The statement also says the ordinance does not criminalize religious beliefs. Religious organizations are exempt from the ordinance's policies.
On Dec. 8, the city council approved expanding the ordinance, first approved in 1989, to include categories such as sexual orientation and gender identity.
Under the ordinance, it is unlawful to discriminate a person from public accommodations, certain housing practices or employment based on the following categories:
- race
- color
- sex
- religion
- age
- national origin
- genetic information
- sexual orientation
- gender identity
- disability status or
- United States military/veteran status
More information, including a frequently asked questions page, is available on the municipal Equal Rights Ordinance page here.
Read the full ordinance here.
