Jill Schramm/MDN Wendi Baggaley speaks regarding a revisions to a human relations committee ordinance in the new city council chambers Monday.

Minot residents opposed to ordinance language associated with a human relations committee squared off with members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community at Monday’s meeting of the Minot City Council.

The council, which passed the revised ordinance on first reading in April, placed the ordinance on hold rather than acting on final passage. The city has had an ordinance providing for a human relations committee since 1976, but the committee has been inactive for many years. The intent of the council has been to revive the committee.

The updated language identified a variety of additional categories of protection from discrimination, such as pregnancy, sexual assault survivor, immigration status, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status.

Other language that concerned some residents stated the goal of the committee would be to “educate and promote respect for diversity.”

“Healthy individuals, healthy communities do have lines and do have boundaries to say certain things are appropriate in our community and some things are not,” said resident Wendi Baggaley. “What I have seen across the country is a radical gender theory ideology that has essentially gone step by step through great-sounding words to then force individuals, force businesses, force communities to accept lifestyles and policies that the vast majority of the people in the community would not appreciate, that do not believe in. I’m concerned that this is the trajectory that we’re on.”

Resident Denise Dykeman, who has worked on diversity issues, said protections in the ordinance are important for businesses to be able to attract a more diverse workforce. Others spoke of their concerns over discrimination that exists in the community and the hurt that’s occurring because of that. Members of the LGBTQ+ community expressed dismay that the opposition to the ordinance language appeared targeted at them.

“I am saddened to see the movement of censorship and hatred that dominated the North Dakota Legislature has now come to roost here at the city of Minot,” said resident Debra Hoffarth. “I want Minot to be known as a community that is full of respect, it’s full of acceptance, we value diversity here.”

Resident Travis Zablotney spoke against adopting the revised ordinance.

“We’re going off in a direction that I don’t believe our government has business going in. If we’re going to manage all social interactions, where do we end?” he said. “We’re all entitled to have our own beliefs, but respect each other at the same time. You’re not going to create a law that changes that. You are not going to create diversity by forcing people to accept something they don’t believe in.”

Council member Lisa Olson had asked to defeat the revised language and revive the human relations committee under the existing ordinance.

“The intent is to get it right, and right now, I think what we have works well enough,” she said. “If you want to improve it, we need to have that committee give that recommendation to us.”

Council member Scott Burlingame said the purpose of the human relations committee is to provide a forum for anyone who feels discriminated against.

“This is about creating conversation, giving people an opportunity to come together. Far too often in today’s world, we live in this echo chamber, where we only talk to and listen to people who are exactly like us,” he said. “Sometimes when we create conversations it can make us feel uncomfortable. Sometimes when we create conversations, we can hear things that we absolutely disagree with. But just hearing conversation, just creating human relations, isn’t a bad thing. And it’s better than the alternative, which is creating an environment in which Minot doesn’t feel welcoming and accepting.”

The council opted to table the matter to assure residents that the ordinance isn’t being rushed and because of a reluctance to take a vote without a full board. Council member Stephan Podrygula was absent from the meeting – the first to be held in the new City Hall.

The ordinance is expected to come before the council again May 15.