May 23, 2014
Roeland Park City Council
4600 West 51st Street
Roeland Park, Kansas 66205
Members of the City Council of Roeland Park:
I am writing in support of, and asking you to vote for, the city ordinance which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
Even though I am not a resident of your fine city, I spend my tax dollars at your restaurants such as Einstein Bros Bagels, at your gas stations such as QuikTrip, and at your stores such as Price Chopper. Certainly city council members would not want people to decrease tax revenue by boycotting their businesses. If your city council does not pass this anti-discrimination ordinance, I will stop shopping in Roeland Park, and I will encourage my friends and blog readers to boycott your city's businesses as well.
Freedom from discrimination is the right of all people. We should strive to see that everyone in the community is treated with fairness and equality. Roeland Park is a wonderful city. Assuring its LGBT citizens are treated as fairly as all other citizens is the right thing to do.
I am a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Overland Park. I am active in our church's Gay Christian Fellowship. Councilmember Megan England was our guest last week. She discussed with our group information about the upcoming vote and encouraged us to write letters to you, expressing our support of this anti-discrimination ordinance.
As a person of faith, I find no basis from within my faith to condemn or deny the rights of any person based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Rather, my faith compels me to embrace the full inclusion of all people regardless of who they love or who they are.
My church is welcoming and inclusive of all persons regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. By welcoming and affirming all persons we bear witness to that spirit of hospitality and love which rests at the core of our religious identity.
My faith further compels me to work for an end to all religious and civil discrimination against any person. All laws must include and protect the freedoms, rights, and equal legal standing of all persons.
Sincerely,
Becky Carleton
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
(Special thanks to Heartland Clergy for Inclusion for tips on how to write an effective letter to city council members: http://www.heartlandproclamation.org/sample-letter-to-city-council/)
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