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Stop Housing Discrimination in Missouri

Great News! On July 17, 2008 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported: " Black Jack has extended its definition of a family to include two unrelated individuals plus the children of either partner. The ordinance, adopted Tuesday night by the City Council, was designed to guard against more legal difficulty from the city's pre-2006 ordinance that denied occupancy permits to unmarried couples. The 2006 change allowed unmarried couples with children together to get occupancy. That law was passed after an unmarried couple with children between them sought to live on Parkwood Drive but were denied a permit. Eventually, the city paid the couple $28,000 in damages and legal fees. A recent application for a permit from an unmarried couple seeking to live on Persimmon Bend Lane with three children, not by each other, prompted the change. The ordinance was enacted with little comment Tuesday night. "We have avoided more noise," Mayor Norman McCourt said.""

AtMP extends heartfelt thanks and congratulations to everyone who made noise about this ridiculous injustice!

The original story: On May 28, 2008 the Associated Press filed this report from Black Jack, MO -- "Another unmarried couple is being told by a suburban St. Louis town they’re not welcome. A man, his girlfriend and her three children recently bought a house in Black Jack in north St. Louis County. But because Toi Pruitt and Joe Pulliam and the children don’t meet the town’s definition of a family, they couldn’t get an occupancy permit. In 2006, Black Jack revised its definition of a family after initially refusing a permit for Fondray Loving, Olivia Shelltrack and their children. That family had filed a federal lawsuit. The new ordinance allows unmarried couples as long as the children are related to both. None of the children are related to Pulliam. The city attorney says he’s willing to fight for the ordinance in court."

Don't let it happen again! Use this petition to tell Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to stop towns and landlords from using marital status to define a family! Join us today!

(Everybody can sign this petition. If you live in Missouri, you can both sign the petition and also send a personal letter to your Missouri government representatives.)

   The town of Black Jack has proved that Missouri needs to update its Human Rights law. In 2006 and again this spring, Black Jack has refused to give an occupancy permit to a home-owning family of two parents and three children.  Black Jack's policy is ridiculous, but it is even worse to know that any Missouri town could legally write a similar policy.  The state government must step in and put a stop to discrimination.  
   A marriage certificate should not be used as a weapon to throw families out their homes and communities.  Our laws must keep step with our lives.  2005 Census figures showed that over half the households in the U.S, and just under half of all Missouri households, are headed by unmarried people.  Unmarried households are the majority in Columbia, Independence, Kansas City, St. Joseph, St. Louis and Springfield.  A marriage certificate doesn't make a family.  
   Please introduce legislation to amend Missouri's Human Rights Statute Ch. 213.030.1 to prevent discrimination because of marital status.
   Thank you.

First Name*

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Does marital status define your family? Tell Governor Blunt why your family should be allowed to live in Black Jack or any other Missouri town.

Thank you for adding your voice to our call for fairness!

If you live in Missouri, please click here to send a personal letter to your state senator and representative.

0-25 of 42 signatures

Number	Date	Name	Location	Does marital status define your family? Tell Governor Blunt why your family should be allowed to live in Black Jack or any other Missouri town.
42	July 09, 2009	June Carbonec	Kansas City, MO	My husband and I have been married for thirty years and we have three children. When our children were little, we owned a large five bedroom home. Over the years, we had various nannies, their children, exchange students, and long term guests (along with any number of the guests' partners, children and relatives) stay with us. We are deeply offended by the idea that the state has anything to say about the marital status of the people with whom we have decided to share our home.
41	December 25, 2008	Michelle Sanders	Kansas City, MO
40	July 23, 2008	Amber Sutton	Topeka, KS	Marital Status does not define my family! I love my boyfriend as much now as I would if we had gotten married years ago. We have two children that we take very good care of. No one can bring us down just because we don't care if we are married or not. We love each other more than words can describe and that's is fine with me. With the divorce rate as high as it is why is it so important to get married?
39	July 19, 2008	Jared Spalding	St.louis, MO
38	July 17, 2008	Julie Bluhm	Minneapolis, MN
37	July 17, 2008	Lynn Fingerhut	Saint Louis, MO	There are as many reasons people choose NOT to marry as there are reasons TO marry. Every one of those reasons is personal and none of the government's business. Family is defined many ways. The antiquated law in Black Jack does not recognize many of them so this change was long overdue.
36	July 17, 2008	Victoria Medaglia	Oak Ridge, TN
35	July 15, 2008	Peter Hornbach	Philadelphia, PA
34	July 15, 2008	david adams	rolla, MO	Please note: It's 2008, let's get these rediculous statutes up to date.
33	June 30, 2008	Courtney Hudak	Seattle, WA
32	June 24, 2008	Valerie White	Florissant, MO	Mr. Blunt, what are you thinking?? You make us all look like idiots. I'm embarrassed to say I'm from Missouri. I think we've evolved enough to drop this ridiculous ban! Please listen to the people...
31	June 23, 2008	Jeff Wunrow	St. Louis, MO
30	June 23, 2008	Vanessa White	Washington, DC	I am originally from Florissant, MO and was horrified to learn about this policy!
29	June 20, 2008	Kevin Maillard	New York, NY
28	June 19, 2008	Pamela Dunn	St. Louis, MO	Stay out of my personal life. Live and let live!
27	June 19, 2008	Evan Keraminas	Des Plaines, IL
26	June 18, 2008	Alycia Ellwood	Elkhart, IN
25	June 10, 2008	Billie Jo Stoddard	, TX	Dear Governor Blunt, this issue hits home for us...I have been with the father of my 2 daughters for 13 years and we are not married because we CHOOSE not to be married. We have a stronger family than most and I can not believe that in todays day and age this is even an issue. Please do your part as the voice of the citizens to stop this ridiculous event. Please feel free to contact me at 314-267-1825 for a discussion of this topic. Ms. Billie Jo Stoddard
24	June 09, 2008	Monica Barron	Kirksville, MO
23	June 09, 2008	Michelle Marcus	Maryland Heights, MO
22	June 06, 2008	Katharine Grantz	Brooklyn, NY
21	June 05, 2008	Max Futterman	Brooklyn, NY
20	June 05, 2008		,
19	June 05, 2008		,
18	June 05, 2008	Dorian Solot	Albany, NY	My partner and I (a male-female couple) have been in a committed, unmarried relationship for 15 years. We had a commitment ceremony attended by over 125 friends and relatives, and we have an infant daughter together. Every one of our neighbors and relatives would say that clearly we are a family in every sense of the word, even though we have chosen not to be married. Our family type is increasingly common in this day and age -- we hope Missouri would welcome us as much as any other family!

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