On Wednesday, September 15th the city of Sioux City launches a new Community Speak-Out series to serve as a citizen listening session for city departments.
The first one starts at noon at the Sioux City Public Museum with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Siouxland Public Media’s Mary Hartnett talked to Sioux City’s new Inclusion Liaison Semehar Ghebrekidan about this open dialogue and her thoughts on the current atmosphere of the community.
Ghebrekidan made her comments after Monday’s City Council Meeting vote surrounding an anti-LGBTQ+ resolution passed back in 2009.
The Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee had asked the council to repeal the measure that defined marriage as being a union between a man and woman.
The council voted for 4-0 to repeal the resolution, with Mayor Bob Scott abstaining. After the meeting, Siouxland Public Media reached out to Mayor Scott to ask why he abstained from voting. He said, “Because when the council approved, it is was a political statement, and rescinding is a political statement and I don't do political statements. Neither action should have been necessary.”
