Looking for an apartment or buying a home is stressful for anyone. Combing through listings, meeting with brokers, viewing open houses, preparing a deposit and all of the other attending chores can be daunting. But, imagine that after going through all of the required steps and finding the perfect place, you’re told that you can’t move in even though you’ve done nothing wrong. The landlord or seller just doesn’t like who you are, or who you love. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, this is all too often a crushing reality.

Just as we believe that people should be judged at work by their performance, not their sexual orientation, we believe that no person should be discriminated against when looking to rent a unit or obtain financing to purchase a home. We should all have access to the same opportunities and protections. The local nondiscrimination laws like we passed at our last council meeting ensure that everyone is treated with fairness.

As elected representatives, City Council members have the opportunity to stand up to discrimination. I encourage council members in cities throughout the state to consider taking the first steps to enact a nondiscrimination ordinance in their city.

North Dakota is a great place to live. Nobody should be afraid to be who they are at work or at home. Laws like these ensure that all people are treated with fairness. Passing the nondiscrimination ordinance was living up to “North Dakota nice.” It reflects our values of fairness and respect — values we pride ourselves on in this great state.

LGBT people are more than just constituents. They are our friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers, and just as vital to the community as anyone else. They go to work, contribute to our economy, take their kids to ballgames, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and experience the same joys and sorrows as any other family. Ours is not a society where law-abiding people should be denied something as basic as housing.

Tyrone Grandstrand 

Grand Forks City Council