The line to get in the front door went around the building.
The line to get to the speaker’s podium went into Wednesday.
City Hall was filled to capacity Tuesday evening when City Council conducted the only public hearing before members are scheduled to vote on the third attempt to expand the city’s equal rights laws to prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.
After more than four hours of comment on Ordinance 2017-15, council President Lori Boyer at midnight recessed the public hearing until 9 a.m. today, when more than 100 people who filled out speaker cards Tuesday will be given the opportunity to be heard.
There were signs the hearing might go past midnight when council staff ran out of the color-coded speaker cards for the hearing and another when Boyer was advised the fire marshal determined City Hall was at its capacity and no one else would be allowed into the building.
In addition to the council chamber, seating was provided in the nearby Lynwood Roberts Room and in the auditorium at the Main Library.
When the hearing began at about 7:30 p.m. after council completed the rest of it agenda, comments made by people on both sides of the issue mirrored what was said in 2012, when a proposed ordinance was narrowly defeated by council.
Speaking first and on the supporting side of the issue, Dan Merkan with the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality said enacting the ordinance is “the right thing to do.”
The next speaker, Southside resident Pam Robbins, warned council the ordinance is merely “a bill for special rights” that would lead to “the eroding of the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”
Harry Houston, who lives in Arlington, echoed Merkan’s sentiment and then compared the current debate to the struggle over Civil Rights for African-Americans in the 1960s.
“Look at where we’ve come,” he said. “And all because people jumped up and down and said it wasn’t right.”
Darnell Smith, president of the JAX Chamber, reiterated the trade organization’s position that Jacksonville not having protection in place for the LGBTQ community is costing the city economic development and jobs.
He said the chamber is “asked all the time” by prospects whether Jacksonville has an all-inclusive human rights ordinance and “we can’t say that we do.”
Some speakers pointed out that not having an encompassing human rights ordinance didn’t stop Amazon.com, Ikea or other companies from choosing to open or expand in Jacksonville.
“It’s a blatant propaganda lie from the chamber of commerce,” said Raymond Johnson, founder and president of Biblical Concept Ministries.
Another member of the faith community had a different viewpoint.
The Rev. R.L. Gundy of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church said those who oppose the HRO bill are “blind to discrimination.”
“They’re not bad. They just think they are right and they need to be enlightened,” he added.
Other speakers questioned the basic validity of the proposal and whether creating a special class for protection might harm other people.
“I believe in equal rights, but I’m opposed to special rights,” said Helen Heath. “You can’t take rights from one group and give them to another.”
Arlington resident Joey Vaughn said Jacksonville already has a Human Rights Commission and it has received in the past five years only 10 complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and none involved housing or public accommodations, which are specifically cited in the proposed ordinance.
Former council member Don Redman, who voted against the bill in 2012, said he’s “appalled” the current council didn’t learn from the experience of nearly five years ago.
“You’re listening to the same things over and over again,” he said.
Council could vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Feb. 14.
(904) 356-2466