Al Austin, a Democrat on the council, voted in favor of the expansion — which failed in a March 2015 vote.
“As an African-American and a member of the LGBT community, I cannot support discrimination in the city where I live, so I supported the bill to expand the nondiscrimination ordinance,” Austin said. “We are a global city, we are an inclusive city, we celebrate our differences and I believe we are stronger together.”
The expanded ordinance now protects LGBT patrons from being denied service by businesses in Charlotte. It already included protections for race, gender, age and religion.
The vote also allows for transgender people to use restrooms consistent with their self-identified genders.
Gov. Pat McCrory, a vocal opponent of the expansion, said in a statement he would support legislative action against it.
“I am disappointed and saddened Charlotte city government initiated overreaching regulations that change basic standards and expectations of privacy regarding restrooms and locker rooms,” McCrory said. “As I communicated and predicted prior to the vote, state legislative leaders have notified me about introducing legislation that would correct this misguided government regulation and ensure it will not happen in any town or city in North Carolina.”
James Miller, executive director for the LGBT Center of Raleigh, said while the media chooses to emphasize the restroom provision, it is not what the expansion is about.
“This landmark policy change in the 17th largest city in the country, and the largest city in North Carolina, proves that fair-minded individuals value the tenets of equal protection under the law,” Miller said in a statement.
