It has been suggested by a few and flatly stated (Jeff Sarnacki's letter of 1/3) that signers of the Petition Drive requesting that voters  have a say about the Equal Rights Ordinance in Kalamazoo, were discriminating against 'all' people in Kalamazoo.  In fact,  the petition signers  find the newly reworded so-called Equal Rights Ordinance, adopted by the City Commissioners, objectionable on grounds of their moral convictions, and are concerned for their and their families' rights.  The current law already protects 'all' the people in Kalamazoo, but the additional wording added into the previous ordinance provides special rights for 'sexual orientation' including 'cross dressers' and people confused about their 'gender identity,' and is very ambiguous in some ways--not so in other ways.  One area of concern is the amended ordinance, in fact, restricts the rights of the majority of the citizens, including faith-based people, or any who have a moral objection to hiring cross-dressers or confused gender-identity people, and discriminates against them.  'Public Accommodations'  includes restrooms, lockers, and shower rooms, that are gender-specific now, in all public areas including schools, recreation facilities and gyms, etc.  Under the 'adjusted' ordinance, opposite sexes who are 'gender confused' or 'cross-dressers' can use restrooms currently designated gender-specific.  This would also affect businesses, small and large, including faith-based businesses, forcing them to open their gender-specific restrooms to people based on these sexual orientations--or be faced with building additional restrooms to accommodate these very few individuals--or be fined if they choose not to.  Based on the fact that these individuals represent such a tiny percentage of the overall population, (and) that these public facilities are already provided for them, the majority of the people can say they find it discriminatory against them.   It is only fair and right that 'all' Kalamazoo residents have a say in accepting or rejecting such an ordinance--and not have it imposed upon them--and that is, quite frankly, the purpose of the petition campaign. 

Submitted by
Jan Novak-Voeltzke

7749 Currier Drive #205

Portage MI 49002

269-323-8915