Title
Declaring, on an annual basis, the week of December 10-12 to be Madison Civil Rights and Human Rights Week.
Fiscal Note
No expenditure required.
Body
Whereas, the original Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance was enacted by the City of Madison on December 12, 1963; and
Whereas, the Equal Opportunities Ordinance became law after a tie vote on the Madison Common Council was overcome by Mayor Henry Reynolds casting the deciding vote; and
Whereas, numerous Madison residents worked tirelessly for many, many years prior to this historic vote to publicly address issues of housing discrimination, as well as discrimination in employment and public accommodations, in Madison; and
Whereas, individuals and groups focused great efforts to create strong legal protections in the City of Madison to ensure the reality of civil rights for all; and
Whereas, the Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance has become one of the most comprehensive and powerful municipal civil rights ordinances in the United States, with the power to “make the complainant whole again” and
Whereas, the Equal Opportunities Ordinance states in its Declaration of Policy [Section 39.03 (1) Madison General Ordinances] that: “Discrimination against any of Madison’s residents or visitors endangers the rights and privileges of all…. it is hereby declared to be the public policy of the City of Madison to foster and enforce to the fullest extent the protection by law of the rights of all of its inhabitants to equal opportunity to gainful employment, housing, and the use of City facilities and public accommodations without regard to sex, race, religion, color, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, age, handicap/disability, marital status, source of income, arrest record, conviction record, less than honorable discharge, physical appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic identity, political beliefs, familial status, student status, domestic partnership status, or status as a...
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