Creve Coeur Formally Adopts Ordinance Against LGBT Discrimination

r on Monday night became the fifth municipality in St. Louis County to add lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered persons to the list of protected classes of people covered by city anti-discrimination ordinances.

According to PROMO, a statewide advocacy group, Creve Coeur joins Olivette, Richmond Heights, University City, Clayton and the city of St. Louis.

Read the ordinance in the City Council Agenda Packet

In Creve Coeur, the ordinance isn't the result of documented cases brought to the attention of the bill's sponsor.

"This is the kind of discrimination that may well remain hidden. It's probably a silent discrimination," said Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Kistner. Rather, she said the ordinance is more about Creve Coeur making a statement about "respecting the rights and dignity of all their residents and people who work there."

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State Representative Jill Schupp, who helped put PROMO activists in touch with Kistner, hopes the city's move helps leads to bigger things across Missouri.

"Obviously I don't believe that people should be able to be discriminated against and fired just based on their sexual orientation. I don't believe that we should limit their ability to have housing so I'm proud of what Creve Coeur has done," Schupp said.

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"I'm hopeful that the state will follow suit and sometimes we know this takes individual communities stepping up and the people in those communities saying let's make this change before we see something happen statewide."