“Hamtramck Citizens Voting No to ‘Special Rights’ Discrimination” scored a landslide victory by overturning an ordinance enacted by their City Council in June of this year, which gave special rights to homosexuals and so-called “transgendered” individuals. The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, represented the citizens group and joined community religious leaders in urging a “No” vote on November 4th.Brian Rooney, a lawyer with the Thomas More Law Center, spoke at several events sponsored by the group and debunked the legal arguments made by representatives of the City Council in support of the anti-religious ordinance.
The “No” vote carried the day, 55% to 45 %.
The challenged ordinance had made it legal for men who perceive themselves as women to use women’s bathrooms in any school, business, or public facility. In classic Orwellian doublespeak, the ordinance defines such behavior as “Natural Rights of Hamtramck Residents.” Under the ordinance, any attempt to prevent such activity would have subjected the person to investigations, criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and fines of up to five hundred dollars per day.
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center stated, “Radical homosexual groups have lost statewide attempts to impose their agenda on the public. They are now engaged in a strategy of putting pressure on municipalities –in many cases successfully — to enact draconian provisions like Hamtramck’s. In this case their new strategy failed as the will of the people prevailed.”
