Orlando Sentinel

Pat Williams' letter to city commissioners

August 8, 2002

Orlando City Commissioners

City Hall

400 South Orange Avenue

Orlando, Florida 32802-4990

Dear Commissioner:

The Orlando City Council will soon be asked to consider amending Chapter 57 of the City Ordinance to include “sexual orientation’’ as a protected class. This matter is highly controversial and will no doubt deeply divide the community.

Whether the Council votes for or against including “sexual orientation,’’ the issue of affording new classes special protection will continue to resurface. The question that the Council faces goes beyond the debate over “sexual orientation.’’ In addressing this matter, I therefore suggest that The Council first establish objective standards. Other than “religion,’’ the current categories already included in the Ordinance share three common factors: (1) a longstanding, documented history of local widespread discrimination, (2) economic disadvantage because of the discrimination, and (3) immutability which includes a situation beyond a person's control, such as national origin. Religion is included because freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution.

I propose that the Council establish these three objective standards as minimum criteria before adding any additional protected classes. I would also suggest that the focus be local. That is, the first two criteria must require proof of local widespread discrimination and local economic disadvantage. The Council is not creating a state or national standard, and thus statements about what may have occurred in one part of the country are not relevant to Orlando if the same is not true of this community,

Requiring any new class to meet each one of these three criteria will go a long way to removing the vicious rhetoric by creating a fair and objective standard. When considering new classes for special protection, the Council should ask the question, “Why?’’ Why is it necessary to add a new class? When the issue is as politically charged as “sexual orientation,’’ the “Why’’ question becomes all the more important. Using these three standards will determine whether a new class is necessary. Therefore, I urge you to direct the Human Rights Board to establish these standards before creating any new protected classes.

Sincerely,

Pat Williams

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Official statement from Pat Williams

August 8, 2002

Several months ago, during a Sunday morning worship service, our pastor explained a discrimination issue coming before the Orlando City Council. He urged church members to pick up a packet of information available at the church and sign and mail a form letter to the mayor and her council members.

This same message was delivered to hundreds of churches across central Florida. I, along with thousands of other church members, mailed in the letter. This was a personal action and had nothing to do with RDV Sports, the Orlando Magic, the Orlando Miracle, or the DeVos family.

This issue coming before the council will be important and I just hope that as a community we can have open and civil dialogue in the weeks ahead. There are well-meaning people with differing views on this issue and I hope we can disagree without being disagreeable. I love Orlando with all my heart and want what is best for our city.

I do not have one prejudiced bone in my body as I have proven over and over in my 40 years of professional sports. Hopefully, I have demonstrated that repeatedly in my personal life by adopting children from all over the world and reaching out to people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. My faith teaches me that God loves all people unconditionally and that enables me to embrace people of differing viewpoints without compromising my own convictions.

I devoted one year of my life selling central Florida and the NBA on creating the Miracle franchise for our community. I consider myself the team's #1 fan and that will always be the case. I urge our fans to get behind the team and root them into the playoffs.

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