Press Release:
OutFront Minnesota Praises
St. Paul City Council Move To
Abolish Antiquated "Cross-Dressing" Ban
Note: This is an archived press
release. The St. Paul City Council did in fact vote unanimously on Dec.
23, 2003, to repeal the ordinance described below in this press release.
December 1, 2003 - For immediate release.
|
|
(Minneapolis) - It's time that a St. Paul ordinance prohibiting people
from appearing in public in dress "not belonging to their sex" be
repealed, says OutFront Minnesota, the state's leading organization
serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities and
allies.
"Clearly, this language, which dates from the late nineteenth century,
has outlived any usefulness it may ever have had," says OutFront
Minnesota Executive Director Ann M. DeGroot. "Common sense says that it
is routinely ignored and serves no purpose whatsoever, while at the same
time it casts a shadow on the rights of transgender people living in or
visiting the Capital City." DeGroot praised City Council member Chris
Coleman for his willingness to take the lead in removing the provision.
The existence of this ordinance was brought to OutFront Minnesota's
attention by a St. Paul attorney with a client affected by an unrelated
part of the same ordinance, says Phil Duran, OutFront Minnesota Legal &
Policy Analyst. "Our analysis is that this archaic language conflicts
with St. Paul's own human rights ordinance, as well as with the
Minnesota Human Rights Act and at least two amendments to the U.S.
Constitution. It's time for it to go." Duran pointed out that the
language contains no exceptions, therefore theoretically criminalizing
drag performances, certain Halloween costumes, and possibly even pants
for women.
Since the language is largely ignored and forgotten, its anticipated
repeal on December 23 will be primarily symbolic, says OutFront
Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer. "We look at this the same
way we believe the City Council sees it: cleaning up some old, absurd
language. However, so-called 'sodomy laws' were also often considered
outdated, but their dangerous implications lingered and required their
repeal." Meyer noted that this was the first significant engagement with
the St. Paul City Council on a GLBT-related issue in several years.
Contact:
Monica Meyer, Public Policy Director
(612) 822-0127, ext. 115
Ann M. DeGroot, Executive Director
(612) 822-0127, ext. 107
|
