“I was happy to share the changes with the pastor and his son,” Bernal said Sunday, referring to Mathew Hagee, the executive pastor at Cornerstone, who was also present. Though Bernal said he had made the revisions almost two weeks before that meeting, he said Sunday that the agreement and meeting with Hagee underscored the benefits of respectful dialogue. Hagee said he got the city attorney and Bernal to agree to the revisions in writing when they met Tuesday. It would add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the city's current anti-discrimination policy.
The ordinance's advocates contend it is an overdue update to protect a vulnerable class of people without negating the rights of others.
