Over 100 local businesses have signed a letter, supporting the adoption of an anti-discrimination resolution by the City of Casper.
The resolution was first put before Casper City Council during a work session in November of 2017. The proposed resolution, as made available on the City of Casper website, would assert the inclusion and welcoming, without discrimination, of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals to the city of Casper.
Rev. Dee Lundberg, a representative of PFLAG; an organization set up to advocate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals; says that “businesses” are at the heart of the resolution.
“That’s our argument. This is good for business,” Lundberg explains. “This is good for the economy. This is good for our image and just the general spirit of Casper, as being a welcoming place.”
The State of Wyoming currently has no laws in place offering protections against discrimination for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals.
During a November 28th, 2017 City Council work session, Lundberg and other representative from PFLAG, told council members that a city resolution, such as the one proposed, would make the city more attractive to both businesses and private citizens who are considering establishing themselves in the area.
The resolution would differ from a city ordinance, in that a resolution is not enforceable. Lundberg says that the time was right to offer such a statement, as a gesture to current citizens, as well as people and businesses looking to move to Casper.
“We felt that we’ve had a couple of events with Casper Pride Week, in the past couple of years, where it’s just really evident that the community is robust and the support from the rest of the community is strong. We just felt like we had the talent, the energy, and the time was right,” explains Lundberg. “It’s not just right, it’s also long overdue.”
The city council is currently scheduled to discuss the resolution, amongst themselves, at a January work session, before it is opened for public comment at a future regular meeting.
“We’re not asking people who normally disagree with homosexuality to be warm and fuzzy about it,” Lundberg says. “But, to at least say that discrimination is wrong.”
