Kalamazoo voters overwhelmingly approved an ordinance that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation of identity. The vote ends an intense campaign by supporters and opponents of Ordinance 1856. "Yes" votes outweighed those against the controversial ordinance by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.

The ordinance bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation based on sexual orientation or identity. A written statement by Kalamazoo Citizens Voting No to Special Rights discrimination, the group that opposed the ordinance, said it couldn't compete with the fundraising advantage held by the law's supporters - One Kalamazoo. One Kalamazoo raised about $350,000 compared to only about $34,000 by Kalamazoo Citizens Voting No.