Amanda McLain-Snipes married her longtime girlfriend Sept. 5 in Oklahoma City.

Tuesday she stepped further out of the shadows as the city council extended protections from discrimination in housing to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

"Today is the day we can turn the page; today is the day we get to say, 'Yes, you are protected. Yes, you are worthy. Yes, you are home,' " she said.

As part of a broader update, the council voted 5-4 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as "protected classes" within its housing discrimination ordinance.