Monday, July 20, 2009

Indiana Equality Stabs Its Own In The Back Again

City-County Councilor Jackie Nytes (D) co-chairs Indiana Equality's Political Action Committee with former City-County Councilor Scott Keller (R). Indiana Equality's mission is to promote equal rights for Indiana's gay, lesbian and transgender citizens. Tonight, the City-County Council had before it four resolutions appointing new members to Indianapolis' Equal Opportunity Advisory Board. This board assists the City in the enforcement of the Human Rights Ordinance, which Nytes co-sponsored with Keller, and which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Councilor Marilyn Pfisterer (R), the sponsor of the resolutions, asked for their consideration in a single vote. Nytes objected and asked that each resolution be voted on separately. Nytes and several other Democratic councilors proceeded to vote "no" on the approval of Douglas Huntsinger, an openly-gay adviser to Gov. Mitch Daniels. Nytes had no problem supporting the other three appointees to the Board tonight, and she had no problem supporting the reappointment of the controversial former City-County Council counsel, Aaron Haith, to the Indianapolis Housing Authority. Even Republican councilors supported his reappointment despite the ethics complaint it filed against him. On what basis did Nytes decide to discriminate against Huntsinger's appointment. The fact that he's a Republican? Or the fact that he's gay?

Huntsinger becomes the only gay member of the Board after two lesbians Nytes supported during the Peterson administration were not reappointed by the Republicans. The other two new appointees tonight included Michael Whitmore, Charles Garcia and A.J. Feeney-Ruiz.

2 comments:

Sir Hailstone said...

I laughed my a$$ off when William Oliver proclaimed the appointments were not "diverse enough"

artfuggins said...

Oliver did make himself look like an ass with that statement. As far as the No vote by Nytes and other Dems, just because you are gay does not make you qualified for a board. I do not know this man, his qualifications or abilities. I do know that Jackie Nytes has been very supportive of the Gay community and she must have had a reason. There definitely needs to be a gay presence on that board.