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LA City Council Votes To Remove Gender References From Municipal Code
The ordinance will remove references to gender from the L.A. municipal code.
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Ethan Ward
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LAist
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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.
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.
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