APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference, Roadeo to proceed in Charlotte
Group was weighing the possibility of cancelling event due to a controversial N.C. law, which some consider discriminatory towards members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Over the weekend, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that this year's Bus & Paratransit Conference and Bus Roadeo would proceed as planned in Charlotte, N.C., from May 15 to 18. APTA was weighing the possibility of cancelling event due to a controversial N.C. law, which some consider discriminatory towards members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
APTA's announcement is below:
"With news of the current political situation affecting the LBGT community in North Carolina, APTA has received many inquiries on the status of its 2016 Bus & Paratransit Conference and International Bus Roadeo.
APTA is committed to being inclusive and does not condone discrimination of any kind against anyone who works for, or uses, public transportation. APTA's long-standing Diversity Policy and our recent LGBT initiative reflect the values we stand by.
This message is inform you that on Saturday APTA's Executive Committee met and made the decision to move forward with the conference as planned.
This decision was not made lightly and we know it will not please everyone. One chief reason we decided to proceed is to support the City of Charlotte, which has long had a track record of creating an environment that not only values diversity, but strongly embraces it. We feel that our attendees will feel welcome in Charlotte.
Public transportation serves and employs a diverse universe of people, and we are working with the City of Charlotte and will spotlight the impact and strength that diversity brings to our industry during the conference."
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