LINCOLN, Neb. – Add the ACLU of Nebraska to the list of people, businesses and organizations supporting a proposed update to the Lincoln city code that protects Lincolnites from discrimination.
A Lincoln City Council agenda published today shows city leaders are pursuing an update that would harmonize current protections with federal law by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected characteristics. The update would also add protection for military status and clarify provisions related to marital status and disabilities.
ACLU of Nebraska Legal and Policy Counsel Sara Rips said it’s the right time to make the change.
“This update sends the message that whoever you are, you’re welcome in Lincoln and you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Rips said. “Especially as city and business leaders strive to recruit new people to Lincoln and to keep our young people here, these kinds of actions are so important. That’s because people want to live in communities where everyone is free to thrive free from discrimination.”
The proposed update reflects precedent established in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 landmark Bostock decision, in which Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that federal law protects LGBTQ Americans from workplace discrimination.
LGBTQ rights is a major focus for the ACLU of Nebraska. The civil rights organization works to achieve equality for LGBTQ Nebraskans through administrative advocacy, legislation and litigation. The ACLU of Nebraska employs the state’s only full-time attorney focused exclusively on LGBTQ rights. The position is partially supported by the Omaha Community Foundation’s Equality Fund.
