03-26-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 26, 2012 Theatre and some of the dancers were gay guys and they dressed in our dressing room and they didn’t care, it wasn’t like guys were in the dressing room with us. If this were a religious issue she could speak that to, because she is a 50 plus member of the United Methodist Church. She was Methodist before it was united! She stated that she is married to an ordained United Methodist Minister who is retired. She doesn’t want anyone to believe that this group of bigots because that’s how she feels about it that they represent the God loving people in this community because they certainly do not represent her and what she believes. She stated that she finds the behavior of Citizens for Community Values morally objectionable. They have a right to speak and say what they want to and that’s because there are rights set out there so they can do that. The second reason she is here is to give her own opinion. Unlike Mr. Mangan who is paid to do what he is doing, she doesn’t work for the highest bidder, his job is to try to influence people, he’s a spin doctor, and she doesn’t want the Council to loose track of that fact. Please pass this bill because it’s just the decent thing to do. Josh Wells, 1325 Monroe Street, South Bend, Indiana, Assistant Professor, IUSB, stated that he wasn’t going to speak tonight, but felt compelled by some of the things that he has heard tonight. He stated that he is an Assistant Professor in Anthropology & Informatics st at IUSB. He stated that there has been a lot of discussion of 21 Century Economics and the place of the City in the global economy. He stated that he is going to talk about his job and how he sees his students and all of the students. He stated that he only speaking of course for himself as a citizen and not his employer or for any of his colleagues specifically. The discussion of keeping brains from draining out of South Bend is something of vital importance to him in his job for the institution of higher education. The State has tasked him through his employer to help keep those brains here in Indiana. To help provide services and infrastructure that allows South Bend and the surrounding part of Indiana to flourish in this new economy. He stated that in one part of his job in anthropology he is tasked with teaching his students about the importance of respecting other cultures, religions, human beings from around the globe wherever they come from and how to work with them fruitfully as an equal partner, economically, politically etc. He stated that with his informatics hat he is tasked with giving students skills to compete successfully with technology, with tools, to build infrastructure for all of us in this country and here in South Bend. He stated that one of the reasons that he is up here tonight is because he saw so many of his students out here in the room and he thought to himself, and frankly he cannot quote the rules that would hit him up for it, but he started to wonder what would happen to him in his place of employment if he looked at a gay or lesbian student out in the class and said I am not going teach you to get a college degree because I don’t like you. He stated that he cannot prove that this would happen, but he stated he didn’t think he would last very long. It would also violate every aspect of his conscience so he wouldn’t do that. But when he advises student about what to do with their lives in the future, he tries to keep as many of them here as possible. He stated that it would break his heart as a citizen and as an educator to hear one them come back to him and say after he had advised them to stay and use their skills to help us here, that they got canned for being who there are. He stated the main reason that he is here tonight is because at the end of a 10 hour work day, teaching our students to build this community, he drove home to his little tan house and hugged both his kids, walked in and his wife had dinner ready, his wife of 15 years and she said honey you better go down to the City Council Meeting tonight, because they are doing that anti-discrimination ordinance thing and one of us ought to go and talk about it. He stated that is his female wife. Let’s pass this thing. Kelly Loughlin, 208 St. Lo, Mishawaka, Indiana, stated that she runs Gay, Straight Alliance at Mishawaka High School. She stated that both her parents were born in South Bend. She stated that her mother worked for the South Bend Police Department and her entire family lives in South Bend. She stated that when she was younger she asked her parents why did we move from South Bend to Mishawaka and they said well we didn’t want you in South Bend schools. She stated that when she asks her friends what are your plans after high school? Many say they are going to attend IUSB, go from a Mishawaka High School to a South Bend College. She stated that when she asks if they are planning to stay in South Bend after they graduate from IUSB they say they are completely moving out of the State even. They don’t want to stay in an area where they don’t feel 18