CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Monday evening, Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ leaders and allies rallied to demand the city of Charlotte pass a fully-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance.

Asking for a new ordinance to include protections against discrimination in housing and other public accomodations, the groups hope Charlotte joins eight other cities and counties, which have already passed similar ordinances.

One of the speakers at Monday night’s rally is Rell Lowery.

Lowery was born and raised in Charlotte and now works for his family’s business.

"It’s not always easy, but we know the big picture is to make sure that the company stays afloat and make sure that everyone’s taken care of, so we make it work,” Lowery said.

Helping the family, specifically with their trucking business, is nothing new, especially being the oldest child.

But now, Lowery said he could use some support from his city in the form of a new non-discrimination ordinance.

"Anywhere you go in Charlotte, all you see is diversity. Whether it’s your gender, race, religion, everything, all of that. We have so many different levels to diversity here in Charlotte and we don’t want to go backwards with all the progression we have made,” Lowery said.

Lowery came out as transgender in 2014, and said his family and Charlotte’s diversity are two reasons he’s never left the city.

"These seven years have probably been the best years of my life. I’m actually out, I can be myself,” he added.

Lowery said he believes the city needs a specific non-discrimination ordinance, which includes the LGBTQ+ community.

He's been lucky with accepting employers over the years. But others in Charlotte, like Reverend Debra J. Hopkins, have seen the other side.

"You can feel that discriminative behavior, you can sense it, you can see it, sometimes it’s in their words, sometimes it’s the way their body language is interacting with you,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins, a pastor and founder of the nonprofit, There’s Still Hope, was homeless in Charlotte for two and a half years. She said she experienced discrimination at housing shelters and when searching for help.

Her experiences are why she said the city needs to act now.

“Because we need to feel like we can walk the streets, go into an establishment, whether it’s to sit down and dine with family and friends, go to the shopping mall, purchase without the feel or threat thereof, or even using the restroom,” Hopkins added.

Hopkins’ nonprofit provides transitional housing and employment assistance for transgender adults otherwise out of options. Her program, which is in its fourth year, has helped dozens of transgender adults find stability and permanent jobs. 

When she’s not doing that, she runs her non-denominational online ministry, which provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ people of faith. 

“If we truly want to be at the forefront of progress, then we need to stop playing politics with the lives of its [Charlotte] citizens,” Hopkins said.

As the city considers changes to the current non-discrimination ordinance, Lowery said allies should not wait for an official act of law.

"Do the right thing. It doesn’t mean you have to address every situation, but it doesn’t hurt to voice your opinion or let someone know that it’s not appropriate,” Lowery said.

Both Lowery and Hopkins said this should be a top priority to ensure Charlotte remains a welcoming place for all.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles to ask about Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance.

"The City of Charlotte is committed to creating a safe, diverse and equitable community for all of our residents and visitors. I believe this is necessary for any city like ours. This is an important topic that deserves our support and, as we see from other cities and counties, collaboration within communities is important. We will be meeting with LGBTQ+ community leaders and others in our community to discuss our specific ordinance language to ensure that everyone is protected and welcomed in our city. We recognize this is an important issue and one City Council will be taking up in the coming months,” Mayor Lyles said in a statement from her office.

Equality NC, which is pushing and providing resources to local governments for new non-discrimination ordinances, says so far, eight local governments have adopted them, including Asheville and Buncombe County.

Equality NC Director Kendra Johnson said these ordinances can be the difference between life or death.

"People are trying to access basic health care and there are medical professionals, who, because of a lack of cultural competency, have actually been unwilling to treat trans and gender non-confirming individuals. So that’s where I say discrimination can be a life or death issue,” Johnson explained.

The push comes as North Carolina's cities and counties can now pass their own LGBTQ+ inclusive non-discrimination ordinances after the expiration of HB142, according to Charlotte Pride and Equality NC.

"With the sunset of HB142, N.C. is ready for nondiscrimination protections,” Equality NC says on its website.