Maria DeVito

Reporter

NEWARK - Dennis Moore Jamandre spent part of his life hiding who he was.

When he was working in a corporate office, he didn't want to reveal to his bosses he was gay because he was afraid of discrimination.

"In that life, I was never able to say: 'I'm going out with my boyfriend this weekend.' When they asked 'How was your weekend?' I had to mask it," Moore Jamandre, of Newark, said Tuesday night while in front of the Newark City Council. "All my life, I had to mask this, everyday."

He was speaking in favor of an anti-discrimination law that went before the council that prohibits discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Council members voted unanimously for the law, which amends the equal employment opportunity, fair housing and ethnic intimidation portions of city laws.

Moore Jamandre said after the meeting that passing such a law sends a good message to young people of Newark that they don't have to hide.

Jeremy Blake, D-2nd Ward, who is openly gay and brought the legislation to the council, said Tuesday's meeting was emotional.

"For this council to come out unanimously and support the ordinance, it just sends a clear message to our community that we are a welcoming and inclusive community," he said after the meeting. "I just thought it was a very powerful and hopeful message."

Newark closer to banning LGBT discrimination

Newark Mayor Jeff Hall said he would sign the law immediately after the meeting.

The council chambers were standing room only, and 14 people spoke about the law, nine in favor and five against.

Mark Falls, a Newark resident and the pastor at the Newark baptist temple in Heath, spoke out against the law during the meeting for many reasons, one of them being religious liberty.

"The First Amendment does not guarantee me the right to say what I want, it guarantees me the right to practice what I believe, free exercise of religion," he said after the meeting. "I feel like this ordinance at its heart is going to impede that."

Alex Shanks, project and field director with Equality Ohio, said Newark is one of 15 cities in Ohio to pass anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT people. Newark passed a law in 2014 that amended the city's human relations ordinances so a city employee can't be discriminated against because of sexual orientation.

"Newark has been a leader in protecting the LGBTQ community for a few years now, and this is just another way of them showing leadership in the state," Shanks said.

Shanks said Newark's law could help spur change at the state level. A law has been proposed that would ban discrimination against LGBT people statewide.

Will Ohio pass LGBT discrimination protections?

"I think what this can do is show that there is support for legislators at the state level to pass legislation that would support LGBTQ people in the same way from smaller towns, from more rural areas of our state that I think a lot of legislators get a little worried about that they're not going to have the support and the backing that they need," Shanks said. "Newark just showed them that they do."

Before the council's regular meeting, there was a special Ways and Means Committee session to talk about alternative plans to raise taxes. Blake and Mark Fraizer, R-at large, each spoke before the committee to present their plans. No action was taken during the meeting.

How much is Newark willing to pay for city services?

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13