Last week we told you that Fort Worth’s response to the Rainbow Lounge raid has led the city to be named a finalist for the 2011 Significant Achievement Award from Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. Fort Worth is one of four finalists for the “Outie,” and the winner will be announced during Out & Equal’s annual Workplace Summit, set for October in Dallas. The city has posted a press release on its website in response to being named a finalist for the award. Here’s an excerpt:
“The City of Fort Worth is honored to be nominated for an Out & Equal Workplace Award in the Significant Achievement category,” said interim City Manager Tom Higgins. “By embracing the LGBT community through the creation of the Diversity Task Force, the City of Fort Worth recognizes and supports a community that has not always had a role in government processes. Through the Diversity Task Force, the City of Fort Worth is breaking down barriers that otherwise could prevent the City from reaching its full potential. Initiatives like this serve to heighten diversity awareness so that all community segments become part of their municipal government.”
Karen Marshall, the City’s human resources director, said: “The work of the Diversity Task Force has favorably impacted not only the LGBT community, but the entire community by fostering understanding, compassion and awareness in all segments of Fort Worth. Passion, energy and new partnerships have allowed the mission of the Diversity Task Force to advance. The program is a model for any municipality that recognizes the value of enhanced quality of life, which in turn advances equal opportunity and provides greater access to government and governmental services for multicultural populations.”
Unfrotunately, it looks like some anti-gay bigots have taken to the comments below the press release.
“It’s great the city can now openly support deviant sexual activity under the perverted pretense of diversification,” OhBlahDe writes. “Thank you Fort Worth for bending over backwards for a segment of the population that makes up less then 3% of the entire population.”
To which Sherrie responds: “I am sorry to see a couple of negative comments, which in my opinion reflect the narrow-mindedness and ignorance of the very people who make it so we have to have ‘Task Forces.'”
