Springfield Voters to Decide on LGBT Ordinance

On Tuesday, April 7, voters in Springfield, Missouri will decide whether or not to repeal a gay rights ordinance that was adopted by Springfield's City Council in October 2014 after an extended, sometimes heated debate going back to February 2012. 

The Assemblies of God (AG), which has maintained its national office in Springfield since 1918, retained legal counsel from a national firm with extensive experience related to issues of religious liberty. 

Several critical weaknesses were discovered in the ordinance's religious exemption:

• The ordinance privileges some religious organizations over others. Religious organizations that engage in activities such as liberal arts education, finance, or relief work may not be protected.
  
  
• The vague and highly fact-specific terms such as "primary purpose" and "primary duties" appear to have been taken directly from the proposed federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). That exemption was highly criticized for insufficient protection for religious freedom and ultimately Congress failed to pass ENDA.
  
  
• The ordinance does not include a religious exemption to its public accommodations provisions. This is a marked departure from state law, which exempts religious organizations. If a Springfield church were to grant use of its facilities to a nonmember, this may expose it to a lawsuit if it then declines the use of its facilities to LGBT groups.
  
  
• The ordinance has a very narrow religious exemption to its housing ordinance. This may result in religious colleges being prohibited from having same-sex dormitories, as they could be required to place students based upon stated gender identity, rather than biological gender.

As Springfield voters prepare for the April 7 vote, Dr. George O. Wood, general superintendent of the AG, has communicated the legal concerns this ordinance has presented through an interview with the local FOX radio affiliate, a letter to the editor of the Springfield newspaper, and a letter to Springfield-area AG pastors. You can find links to each of these at the end of this article.

Wood states, "I recognize, of course, that not all Springfield residents agree with our understanding of human sexuality. In an increasingly diverse society, such disagreements perhaps are to be expected. Regardless, I believe that there are substantial arguments that favor repealing this ordinance, arguments rooted in its insufficient protection of the long-established freedoms of religious organizations."

READ: Dr. George O. Wood's letter to the editor of Springfield's News-Leader

DOWNLOAD: Dr. George O. Wood's letter to Springfield-area AG pastors

LISTEN (Below): Dr. George O. Wood's interview with KSGF, FOX Radio

Article image uploaded from Magnus Maske 12/25/09; Copyleft: This work of art is free; you can redistribute it and/or modify it according to terms of the Free Art License. 

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