Out journalist Will Ganss has condemned his hometown in Texas for considering revoking anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.
The ABC producer and Good Morning America correspondent said in a video posted on social media that Arlington will be “essentially legalizing discrimination against queer people” if it votes in favor of reversing its policies.
“What I know to be true because I grew up in Arlington, Texas, is that every person deserves to feel safe, no matter who they love or what their preferences might be,” Ganss said in the video. He continued, “In fourth grade, I got my ass absolutely kicked during a game of football at recess, and I ran immediately to my elementary school library because my librarian made sure that I knew that there was a safe space for me there. I’m still in touch with my elementary school music teacher, because she cares about my success and safety and happiness as a human being. These are Arlington, Texas values.”
The Arlington City Council will vote on a revised ordinance November 18, which would remove “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation” as protected characteristics. The vote comes after the council temporarily suspended the clause in September due to threats from Donald Trump‘s administration.
Related: Texas city will vote on overturning LGBTQ+ antidiscrimination protections next month
Trump officials said they would revoke $65 million in federal grant money from the city if it did not remove language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its municipal code. Both Arlington and Fort Worth subsequently voted to end their DEI programs and rewrite ordinances to exclude phrases related to race and gender.
Arlington’s current anti-discrimination ordinance prohibits “any direct or indirect exclusion, distinction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or other differentiation in the treatment of a person or persons because of a race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Iowa removed gender identity from its state Civil Rights Act in February, making it the first state in the country to take away rights from a group previously protected in law. If the ordinance in Arlington passes, it would be the first individual city to do so.
“Arlington is a community that is filled with faith and filled with compassion and, yes, filled with queer people. I know because I am a person who is faith-filled and compassionate and queer,” Ganss continued. “So before the vote on November 18, I would encourage you to reach out to your city council members, to your mayor and let them know how you feel about this. Y’all know I don’t post a lot of stuff like this, but the younger version of me needs this version of me to say something.”
This article originally appeared on Advocate: GMA’s Will Ganss slams his Texas hometown for vote to revoke LGBTQ+ protections
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