Bethel city employees could soon be protected from sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
In its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, Bethel City Council voted to draft language to include sexual orientation and gender identity under the city’s protected classes.
If the changes take effect, it would be illegal for a city employee or someone applying for a job with the city to be treated differently by another city employee because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Bethel council member Chuck Herman suggested the changes after reviewing a draft of the City Employee Handbook and finding the protected classes lacking. He says the changes would make the city a more attractive employer and would also send a message to city workers.
“We are signaling to our future employees and our current employees,” Herman said, “that we do not discriminate on that basis, and what we care about is results and hard work, and being a competent and caring employee.”
The Bethel City Administrator and City Attorney are drafting consistent language for the city’s Municipal Code, Union Agreement and Employee Handbook, making sure all three documents’ protected classes match.
The changes are expected to be presented to the council in late November.
Local governments have taken similar actions elsewhere in the state. The Anchorage Assembly is amending an ordinance that would outlaw sexual orientation and gender expression discrimination in the workplace, public facilities and in housing.
Likewise, in Juneau, assemblyman Jesse Kiehl is drafting a city ordinance that would prohibit the same class discrimination in the workplace, public facilities and in housing. The City and Borough of Juneau already has a personnel rule banning discrimination against city employees “for a reason not related to merit.”
The proposed changes in Bethel would apply only to city employees, and would not extend to the private sector.
