A week ago today, the Macon-Bibb County Commission voted 6–3 to update the County’s charter to protect gay and transgender workers from discrimination.

The mood in the room was electric during last Tuesday’s vote, with media outlets reporting that supporters of the charter update packed the Macon-Bibb Government Center to standing room only. A previous vote had also drawn hundreds of supporters.

In fact, Tuesday’s vote was the third decisive move from the Commission in favor of LGBT-inclusive employment non-discrimination protections. The update passed the Finance and Operations Committee on April 11th, then moved quickly to the first of two full votes before the Commission on April 18th, when it also passed 6–3.

The charter update makes Macon-Bibb County the 63rd municipality in Georgia to protect public employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. A handful of other municipalities also protect employees based on gender identity. The City of Atlanta remains the only city with an LGBT-inclusive ordinance protecting all employees—public and private—from discrimination.

The passage of local ordinances gives momentum for our movement and protects thousands of LGBT Georgians from discrimination—but these protections are still limited. Comprehensive, statewide civil rights protections are the only way to ensure all LGBT Georgians are protected from discrimination.

We made tremendous progress on passing these protections next year, and plan to keep pushing for them during the next legislative session.