Buncombe County – A couple of weeks ago, the Tribune published an article on Buncombe County’s new non-discrimination ordinance, which Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara introduced. The ordinance included language for things like “race, creed, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, natural hair and hairstyle.”
The Tribune tried to contact Commissioner Beach-Ferrara the following questions about the ordinance:
What prompted the ordinance?
Who would the ordinance apply to?
Have you seen a need in the community for such an ordinance?
Do you see such an ordinance infringing on people’s religious freedom?
If the ordinance states that it “reflects the community’s shared values” then why would it be necessary to enact the ordinance if the values embodied in the ordinance are already shared by the community?
These questions remain unanswered and we invite our commissioners to addresss these concerns and inquiries. After three attempts at emailing her, she did not respond. The Tribune also tried contacting Commissioner Robert Pressley by phone and he did not return our call.