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Council Member Patrick Mcgee speaks at a city council meeting Monday, August 22, 2016. (CAMILLE FINE | FOR THE POST)

City Council: Council bans conversion therapy on minors, approves pilot parking permit program

 Athens City Council members approved a ban on conversion therapy on minors in the City of Athens on Monday, saying the ban would help make Athens a more inclusive environment.

The ban, which prohibits any “efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity” with minors, passed unanimously and drew applause from people in attendance. It was passed proactively and was proposed because of a petition with more than 500 signatures.

In a previous Post report, delfin bautista, the director of Ohio University’s LGBT Center and a survivor of conversion therapy, said the ban would help LGBT youth.

“Passing this ban demonstrates to queer youth that they matter,” bautista, who uses they/them pronouns and the lowercase spelling of their name, said.

Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said the ban reflected Athens’ commitment to equality, especially in light of recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a woman was killed and a man from Athens County, along with others, was injured in an attack during a counter-protest of a white supremacist rally.

“I have been horrified by what has happened in our country in Charlottesville,” Fahl said. “Being able to bring this forward tonight represents all that is good in Athens. We’re a city of love and tolerance and inclusiveness and inclusivity.”

At the beginning of the meeting, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson read a statement about the attacks that condemned racism and intolerance.

“Over the past week, I have been shocked and saddened by what has happened in our country,” Patterson said. “The hate and bigotry seen in Charlottesville represents ideas of the past which cannot, and will not, be tolerated here in Athens.”

Additionally, council members approved a long-debated parking permit program.

The program, which is a pilot program that could later be expanded if it goes well, will only include certain streets on the north and west sides of town and will allow residents who qualify for a permit to park their cars on the street for 72 hours rather than the current 24, Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said.

Concerns have previously been raised about the limited number of streets the program will cover. Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said the pilot program would help the city gather data about how a larger program would work.

“(The pilot program) allows us to collect data and to take a look at what’s working and what’s not working,” Butler said.

The program has been debated since it was introduced to council by Joan Kraynanski, a member of the West Side Community Association, in October.

@leckronebennett

bl646915@ohio.edu

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