Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Civics & Democracy

LA City Council Votes To Remove Gender References From Municipal Code

City Hall against a blue sky from the perspective of someone looking up.
The ordinance will remove references to gender from the L.A. municipal code.
(
Ethan Ward
/
LAist
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today. 

Topline:

The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to remove gender references from the city’s municipal code.

Why it matters: The current code has language that presumes the gender of city officials and members of the public to be masculine, using “he” to describe the mayor and city attorney, for instance. "Such language is inaccurate," wrote Council President Paul Krekorian, who authored the motion.

Why now: “The current Mayor and City Attorney, for example, are both women who use she/her pronouns," Krekorian wrote. "The [municipal code] should be amended to reflect the gender diversity of our city leadership.” In November, Karen Bass became the first woman elected mayor in L.A.'s history.

Support for LAist comes from

What’s next: The motion directs the city attorney to draft an ordinance to remove all references to gender in the city code and use the name of the office or position title instead.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist