The City of Birmingham must pay legal fees and establish new regulations as part of the settlement in Lambda Legal’s federal case against the city and its mayor for violating a group’s free speech rights.
On September 1, a settlement agreement was reached in the lawsuit after a federal judge ruled against The City of Birmingham and its mayor in their efforts to have the case dismissed. The city must now pay legal costs and attorneys’ fees in excess of $40,000. The city will also establish non-discriminatory regulations for the approval of the hanging of banners on city property by city employees to announce public events. “Discrimination against members of the gay community will not be tolerated in this city where historic progress has been made for civil rights,” says Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Beth Littrell.