The Grand Island City Council has been asked to bar from city employment policies any discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The proposal scheduled to be considered at the council meeting Tuesday would add the protection to only city policies and would not affect any other employer in the south-central Nebraska community.

The council on Oct. 9 rejected a measure that would have barred businesses from discriminating against current or prospective employees based on their sexual orientation. It also would have covered housing and retail situations.

Councilman Larry Carney told The Grand Island Independent that the new proposal is a smaller first step toward eliminating discrimination.

City policies already bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, mental or physical disability, marital status, national origin or genetic information.