Arlington, Texas, has become the first city in the nation to roll back existing LGBTQ antidiscrimination protections. In a narrow 5–4 vote, the City Council approved a revised ordinance stripping gender identity and expression and sexual orientation from its anti-discrimination policy. Until now, the ordinance had shielded queer residents from “any direct or indirect exclusion, distinction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or other differentiation” in employment, housing, health care, and other services.
The protections had been suspended since August after threats from Donald Trump’s administration to revoke $65 million in federal grants if diversity, equity, and inclusion language remained in city codes. Arlington and nearby Fort Worth then voted to eliminate their DEI programs. Advocates say the council ignored solutions that would have protected both funding and residents.
A spokesperson for the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health said, “For months, the public was told that the September suspension of Arlington’s Anti-Discrimination Chapter was necessary to protect federal grant funding…That issue was fully resolved. The revised ordinance presented tonight — drafted by the City Attorney — protected every dollar of federal funds while restoring long-standing safeguards for all Arlington residents: women, men, children, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community.” Still, LGBTQ+ advocates vow continued organizing, saying the fight for protections is far from over.
