BY BTL STAFF
In advance of Friday's inauguration, 175 mayors across the country announced "Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination," a broad-based, nonpartisan coalition comprised of local officials who support equal protections and fair treatment of all LGBT people.
The launch was announced at a breakfast roundtable briefing and discussion among LGBT policy experts and dozens of mayors — including co-chairs of the coalition — at the Holland & Knight law offices in Washington, DC. The discussion centered on what mayors and local officials can do to support their LGBT constituents and advance equal protections at home, and took place alongside Freedom for All Americans and the Center for American Progress.
As of Jan. 23, nearly 200 mayors in 43 states including the District of Columbia have joined the coalition. Mayors that joined in the state of Michigan include Rosalynn Bliss, Grand Rapids; Jim Carruthers, Traverse; Dave Coulter, Ferndale; Amanda Edmonds, Ypsilanti; Kenneth Fletcher, Lansing; Michael Fournier, Royal Oak; Bobby Hopewell, Kalamazoo; Mark Meadows, East Lansing; Kurt Metzger, Pleasant Ridge; Kathleen Newsham, Bay City; Ken Siver, Southfield; Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor; Michael Taylor, Sterling Heights; Ken Fletcher, Delta Township; and Hubert Yopp, Highland Park.
The co-chairs include San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; Seattle Mayor Ed Murray; DC Mayor Muriel Bowser; and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. The full list of current Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination can be found online
