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Letter to the editor

St. Petersburg may alter bias ban

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published July 19, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The city is considering changes to a progressive antidiscrimination law that civil rights advocates worry could threaten St. Petersburg's gay and lesbian community.

The changes, proposed as part of next year's city budget, would move most city discrimination cases to Pinellas County. But unlike St. Petersburg, the county does not protect people on the basis of sexual orientation.

The city says it will continue to handle the handful of discrimination cases it receives relating to sexual orientation.

But critics question how the program will function, especially since the city is laying off its investigators and has not said how it will follow up on complaints.

"I would hate to see things fall through the cracks," said Rick Boylan, president of the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County, a gay and lesbian political advocacy group. "And how are we supposed to take the city's word that they won't?"

The City Council is set to discuss the changes at a meeting today. The county currently conducts discrimination investigations for other Pinellas cities.

The proposed change in St. Petersburg is a response, officials say, to the looming city budget cuts. Mayor Rick Baker has said merging the city's human rights investigators with the county could save more than $400,000 next year.

Residents will not lose basic protections as part of the merger, insisted Deputy Mayor Tish Elston. The city, which acts on behalf of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, investigates between 200 and 300 discrimination cases a year.

"Our whole intent when we started looking at budget issues was to look at things to change the way we did things, but not change the level of service," Elston said.

Not everyone is convinced.

The City Council outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 2002 over the objections of Baker, who said the city should not be offer more protections than the state or federal government.

Boylan said he wonders if the county merger is a way to get rid of a set of rules Baker never wanted in the first place.

"Obviously the council recognized there was a need to protect people," Boylan said. "It should not be taken away."

Baker was on vacation this week and could not be reached for comment.

[Last modified July 19, 2007, 00:02:43]