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Apr 2, 2015

NC House Introduces Bill to Protect LGBT Workers

Primary Sponsors (L. to R.) Representatives Tricia Cotham, Paul Luebke, Shelly Willingham, and Rick Glazier.

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 1, 2015) -- Primary Sponsors Representatives Paul Luebke, (D-Durham), Tricia Cotham (D-Mecklenburg), Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), and Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe, Martin) introduced House Bill 443, "Nondiscrimination in Public Employment" this week, alongside 19 other legislative sponsors in a companion bill to Senate Bill 612 that would provide much-needed protections for North Carolina's LGBT workers.

Additional legislative sponsors of HB443 include:

Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg)

Rep. Nathan Baskerville (D-Granville, Vance, Warren)

Rep. Larry Bell (D-Duplin, Sampson, Wayne)

Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford)

Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)

Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Pitt, WIlson)

Rep. Susan Fisher (D-Buncombe)

Rep. Elmer Floyd (D-Cumberland)

Rep. George Graham (D-Craven, Greene, Lenoir)

Rep. Duane Hall (D-Wake)

Rep. Susi Hamilton (D-Brunswick, New Hanover)

Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford)

Rep. Yvonne Holley (D-Wake)

Rep. Howard Hunter (D-Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank_

Rep. Ralph Johnson (D-Guilford)

Rep. Marvin Lucas (D-Cumberland)

Rep. Grier Martin (D-Wake)

Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Durham, Orange)

Rep. Bobbie Richardson (D-Franklin, Nash)

The legislation is intended to amend the State Personnel Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the list of classifications covered by the state's equal employment opportunity law. The bill also requires local boards of education to adopt policies for nondiscrimination in employment, including sexual orientation and gender identity or expression among the covered classifications.

“In North Carolina today, decent, hardworking North Carolinians can be fired simply because of who they are or who they love,” said Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality NC. “We applaud this effort and the nearly two dozen sponsors working to protect our state’s most vulnerable public employees.”

Sgro added, “Through these bills, Equality NC will not only stand with legislators willing to protect all state employees, but also mobilize hundreds of community, campus, faith, and business leaders who are also ready to work with them for equality in employment and beyond.”

CLICK HERE to ask your legislators to support HB443 and SB612 >>>

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