Lincoln already is a fair and welcoming city for all people, and everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, the misleading ballot initiative is coercive, needlessly divisive, and undermines both fairness and freedom.
In February, Nebraska Family Alliance organized a diverse coalition of churches, business owners, private schools, and concerned citizens who collected 18,501 signatures in opposition to the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” in just 15 days—more than four times the needed amount.
On June 13th, the Lincoln City Council voted 4-3 to officially rescind the ordinance. This was a tremendous, hard-fought victory, and we couldn’t have done it without you!
But now, a group of activists are working to put the same exact “Fairness Ordinance” on the ballot in November.
This means we may be facing a full-fledged campaign with tens of thousands of dollars being spent to mislead voters on what the ordinance really does, and our work to reach, educate, and equip citizens with the truth will be more vital than ever.
We want Lincoln to remain a fair and welcoming place for all people. Unfortunately, the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” undermines both fairness and freedom by coercing and punishing citizens who disagree with gender identity policies that allow biological men in private spaces for women and would be enforced as a sword against people of faith instead of a shield to the LGBT community as promised.
Information
Every person should be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, coercive sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) laws undermine both fairness and freedom.
These policies are used to:
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- Force a destructive gender ideology on society
- Require that men who profess a female identity be permitted to access women’s bathrooms and locker rooms
- Threaten business owners with devastating financial liability
- Empower the government to punish citizens with Biblical beliefs on marriage and human sexuality
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COERCIVE SOGI LAWS UNDERMINE BOTH FAIRNESS AND FREEDOM. READ MORE TO LEARN HOW THESE LAWS ARE HARMFUL.
The proposed ballot initiative ignores common sense by giving men who claim to be female unfettered access to intimate places designated for women, including showers, locker rooms, and restrooms at:
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- Businesses
- Gyms
- Private schools
- Youth sports leagues
- And even churches
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Due to the initiative’s broad reach and ill-defined, unverifiable definition of “sex,” a business or non-profit could be guilty of violating the law for failing to use someone’s preferred pronouns or for trying to prevent men who self-identify as women from entering women’s bathrooms.
Citizens could be charged with civil penalties and life-ruining fines.
Timeline
April 30, 2012
A 25-page “Fairness Ordinance” introduced to the Lincoln City Council.
May 29, 2012
Nebraska Family Alliance (Nebraska Family Council and Family First at the time) turned in 10,092 signatures collected in just 15 days, blocking the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” from taking effect. The Lincoln City Council never took any action on the referendum, and the ordinance remained inoperable.
February 14, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-0 to pass the new version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
June 13, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-2 to rescind the 2012 version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
August 8, 2022
“Let Lincoln Vote” announced they had collected 11,013 signatures over 47 days. The signatures were sent to the Lancaster County Election Commissioner to be verified.
March 10, 2023
The second “Let Lincoln Vote” ballot initiative was unsuccessful. Organizers missed the deadline to certify a special issue for the 2023 Lincoln City Elections.
May 14, 2012
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-0 to pass the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
September 26, 2013
Nebraska Family Council and Family First merged to become Nebraska Family Alliance, the largest and longest-standing pro-family non-profit organization in the state, representing a diverse network of thousands of individuals, families, and faith leaders.
February 15, 2022
Nebraska Family Alliance launched a petition drive to collect 4,137 signatures in just 15 days to require the Lincoln City Council to rescind the ordinance or put it on the ballot for a vote. Over 340 volunteers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities rallied together to collect signatures from concerned citizens, business owners, and more than 70 churches.
June 13, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 4-3 to rescind the 2022 version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
August 9, 2022
The Lancaster County Election Commissioner determined the petitions could not be verified because they neglected to include a statement indicating whether petition circulators were paid or volunteer, as is required by state law.
July 7, 2023
Kay Siebler, a leader of the “Let Lincoln Vote” group, sued the Lincoln City Council, asking the Lancaster County District Court to force the city council to enact the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” or put it on the ballot for a vote.
May 15, 2012
Nebraska Family Alliance (Nebraska Family Council and Family First at the time) launched a petition drive to collect 2,489 signatures in just 15 days to require the Lincoln City Council to rescind the ordinance or put it on the ballot for a vote.
January 31, 2022
Councilwoman Sändra Washington introduced a sweeping 67-page version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance,” which would force churches, businesses, and private schools to allow biological men in women’s showers, locker rooms, and restrooms. Citizens could be charged with devastating fines by an unelected commission for simply upholding the privacy rights of women and girls or failing to use someone’s preferred pronouns.
March 1, 2022
Nebraska Family Alliance turned in 18,501 signatures collected in just 15 days, blocking the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” from taking effect.
June 22, 2022
A group called “Let Lincoln Vote” launched a misleading ballot initiative to collect 8,846 signatures and enshrine the coercive “Fairness Ordinance” into Lincoln’s municipal code.
December 23, 2022
“Let Lincoln Vote” launched a second attempt to enshrine the coercive “Fairness Ordinance” into Lincoln’s municipal code. The misleading ballot initiative contained the same proposed revisions as the first unsuccessful attempt.
April 30, 2012
A 25-page “Fairness Ordinance” introduced to the Lincoln City Council.
May 14, 2012
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-0 to pass the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
May 15, 2012
Nebraska Family Alliance (Nebraska Family Council and Family First at the time) launched a petition drive to collect 2,489 signatures in just 15 days to require the Lincoln City Council to rescind the ordinance or put it on the ballot for a vote.
May 29, 2012
Nebraska Family Alliance (Nebraska Family Council and Family First at the time) turned in 10,092 signatures collected in just 15 days, blocking the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” from taking effect. The Lincoln City Council never took any action on the referendum, and the ordinance remained inoperable.
September 26, 2013
Nebraska Family Council and Family First merged to become Nebraska Family Alliance, the largest and longest-standing pro-family non-profit organization in the state, representing a diverse network of thousands of individuals, families, and faith leaders.
January 31, 2022
Councilwoman Sändra Washington introduced a sweeping 67-page version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance,” which would force churches, businesses, and private schools to allow biological men in women’s showers, locker rooms, and restrooms. Citizens could be charged with devastating fines by an unelected commission for simply upholding the privacy rights of women and girls or failing to use someone’s preferred pronouns.
February 14, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-0 to pass the new version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
February 15, 2022
Nebraska Family Alliance launched a petition drive to collect 4,137 signatures in just 15 days to require the Lincoln City Council to rescind the ordinance or put it on the ballot for a vote. Over 340 volunteers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities rallied together to collect signatures from concerned citizens, business owners, and more than 70 churches.
March 1, 2022
Nebraska Family Alliance turned in 18,501 signatures collected in just 15 days, blocking the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” from taking effect.
June 13, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 5-2 to rescind the 2012 version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
June 13, 2022
The Lincoln City Council voted 4-3 to rescind the 2022 version of the so-called “Fairness Ordinance.”
June 22, 2022
A group called “Let Lincoln Vote” launched a misleading ballot initiative to collect 8,846 signatures and enshrine the coercive “Fairness Ordinance” into Lincoln’s municipal code.
August 8, 2022
“Let Lincoln Vote” announced they had collected 11,013 signatures over 47 days. The signatures were sent to the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s office to be verified.
August 9, 2022
The Lancaster County Election Commissioner determined the petitions could not be verified because they neglected to include a statement indicating whether petition circulators were paid or volunteer, as is required by state law.
December 23, 2022
“Let Lincoln Vote” launched a second attempt to enshrine the coercive “Fairness Ordinance” into Lincoln’s municipal code. The misleading ballot initiative contained the same proposed revisions as the first unsuccessful attempt.
March 10, 2023
The second “Let Lincoln Vote” ballot initiative was unsuccessful. Organizers missed the deadline to certify a special issue for the 2023 Lincoln City Elections.
July 7, 2023
Kay Siebler, a leader of the “Let Lincoln Vote” group, sued the Lincoln City Council, asking the Lancaster County District Court to force the city council to enact the so-called “Fairness Ordinance” or put it on the ballot for a vote.
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