2008 Woodie Awards
City adds new specifications to former civil rights law
Betsy King
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Community
At the beginning of April, changes made to the Oxford's Civil Rights Law will go into effect.
Oxford City Council members approved the addition of sexual orientation, sex, disability, age, height, weight and pregnancy to the city's civil rights law at a meeting March 4.
Councilor Doug Ross proposed amending the law to include obesity, claiming that although Oxford does not have a great discrimination problem, the Civil Rights Law should attempt to cover all bases.
"In Oxford, Ohio, I thought you are more likely to be discriminated against for being obese than if you are a homosexual," Ross said.
Eventually, this proposal would be included under the new amendment that protects discrimination based on height and weight.
Council member Dick Keebler believed that while some of the changes were important, specifically the unlawfulness of discriminating against sexual orientation, he voted against the new laws because he ultimately thought that they were too broad in their intentions.
"I agree that there should be change and that discrimination is an awful thing, but my question is, when does the list stop?" Keebler said. "When you get as specific as prohibiting discrimination based on height and weight, it becomes almost an endless list, anything goes."
Ross does not think the amendment will have a major influence on Oxford because the community is already accepting.
"I doubt it will affect the Oxford community one bit because Oxford has always been better than most communities in terms of accepting of different of peoples … We have always been on the lead of 'race relations,'" Ross said. "Miami (University) may be a little behind, but Western College was always on the cutting edge."
Marissa Sims, activism outreach chair of Spectrum believes that this law is beneficial and will help to empower minorities on campus.
"Oxford is only the 15th city in Ohio to adopt a non-discriminatory law based on sexual orientation and gender identity," Sims said. "These laws will help the people of Oxford realize that the city stands behind them and that they won't tolerate discriminatory behavior."
Additional reporting by Ann Koblenzer
Oxford City Council members approved the addition of sexual orientation, sex, disability, age, height, weight and pregnancy to the city's civil rights law at a meeting March 4.
Councilor Doug Ross proposed amending the law to include obesity, claiming that although Oxford does not have a great discrimination problem, the Civil Rights Law should attempt to cover all bases.
"In Oxford, Ohio, I thought you are more likely to be discriminated against for being obese than if you are a homosexual," Ross said.
Eventually, this proposal would be included under the new amendment that protects discrimination based on height and weight.
Council member Dick Keebler believed that while some of the changes were important, specifically the unlawfulness of discriminating against sexual orientation, he voted against the new laws because he ultimately thought that they were too broad in their intentions.
"I agree that there should be change and that discrimination is an awful thing, but my question is, when does the list stop?" Keebler said. "When you get as specific as prohibiting discrimination based on height and weight, it becomes almost an endless list, anything goes."
Ross does not think the amendment will have a major influence on Oxford because the community is already accepting.
"I doubt it will affect the Oxford community one bit because Oxford has always been better than most communities in terms of accepting of different of peoples … We have always been on the lead of 'race relations,'" Ross said. "Miami (University) may be a little behind, but Western College was always on the cutting edge."
Marissa Sims, activism outreach chair of Spectrum believes that this law is beneficial and will help to empower minorities on campus.
"Oxford is only the 15th city in Ohio to adopt a non-discriminatory law based on sexual orientation and gender identity," Sims said. "These laws will help the people of Oxford realize that the city stands behind them and that they won't tolerate discriminatory behavior."
Additional reporting by Ann Koblenzer
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