Commission Votes 7-0 To Draft Ordinance To Prevent Discrimination To Gays, Others In Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - The Royal Oak City Commission voted unanimously to drafting an ordinance to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and a host of other things like height and weight during a meeting Monday night.

The drafting of the ordinance was proposed by City Commissioner Jim Rasor, who also has a law practice in Royal Oak.

"It's a huge victory for diversity and economic development in Royal Oak, " Rasor told WWJ. "We had dozens of business owners, old, young, straight, gay people attending - no one against. "

The proposal passed by a  7-0 vote by the city commission.

"I own a business and I am a job creator, I could walk in tomorrow to one of the young attorney's office and say 'Your heterosexual lifestyle is not compatible with this firm's goals' — He has no remedy under federal or state law for that," Rasor said before the meeting to WWJ.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal in 2001, but Rasor thinks attitudes have changed since then. Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Birmingham and Ferndale already have a Human Rights Ordinance.