The proposed amendment is sponsored by Commissioners Robert Patrick, Michelle Long Spears and Ted Terry. Advocacy groups Georgia Equality and the DeKalb County LGBTQ+ Democrats are urging residents to contact their commissioners in support. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and will be available on DCTV Channel 23.

DeKalb adopted its first nondiscrimination ordinance in 2023. It bars discrimination based on characteristics including sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as race, religion, disability, age and other protected categories, in public accommodations and county employment. Covered public accommodations include businesses such as restaurants and stores.

The existing ordinance does not extend those protections to non-county workplaces or housing. The proposed change would close those gaps and, according to advocates, extend protections to LGBTQ+ residents and other marginalized groups. A violation of the current ordinance can result in a business-license suspension of up to six months.

The amendment’s consideration would mark a potential expansion of the county’s protections beyond public-facing businesses and county government, affecting two areas central to residents’ access to work and housing. No commission vote outcome was available at the time of publication.