A Texas city could soon make history, but not in a way queer advocates hoped. The Arlington City Council voted Tuesday evening on a revised ordinance that would remove “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation” as protected characteristics under local anti-discrimination law. What did they decide? The Council voted to delay the vote until November 18.
The proposed ordinance change follows fiscal threats from Donald Trump’s administration. Federal officials reportedly warned the city it could lose $65 million in grants unless it stripped “diversity, equity, and inclusion” language from its code. Arlington’s current ordinance bans “any direct or indirect exclusion, distinction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or other differentiation in the treatment of a person or persons because of race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
If approved, Arlington would become the first U.S. city to repeal such protections — echoing Iowa’s move in February, when the state removed gender identity from its Civil Rights Act. Local advocates are urging resistance. Arlington Pride said, “We won’t go backwards,” calling residents to attend the council meeting and speak out.
