My name is JoLynn Shriber. I am 43 years young. I have been a resident of Juneau for four years but I am originally from Oregon.
I have a hard time wrapping my brain as to why we have to add a certain group of people into an ordinance because of others lack of comprehension that these people have rights! In Oregon, I have personally witnessed a couple that had to go to court to keep from being evicted out of their home due to their sexual orientation. They lived there for 15 years and when the new landlord found out they were lesbians, he tried to evict them. As the law stands, this can happen here in Juneau! I also have witnessed and stood up to bullying of transgender people in the workplace here in Juneau. We need to amend this ordinance to provide protection for these people who are vital to our community. They are our elected officials, police officers, teachers and daycare providers. They are productive, responsible members of our community, and it is our job to ensure their basic human rights are not violated.
Thank you for your time,
JoLynn Shriber,
Juneau