Fewer speakers took the podium than in months past to address the now-familiar anti-discrimination ordinance at Thursday’s city council meeting at the city building.

However, the four who spoke made their message clear: The time to vote is now.

The ordinance, initially created by Parents, Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and voted down by city council in 2011, in part, states: “To ensure that all persons regardless of actual or perceived race, color, sex, religion, ancestry, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, age, mental or physical disability, use of guide or support animals and/or mechanical aids, enjoy the full benefits of citizenship and are afforded equal opportunities for employment, housing and the use of public accommodations, and to have equal access to post-secondary educational institutions, it is necessary that appropriate legislation be enacted.”

Moira Myers, advocacy chairman of Pittsburgh PFLAG, noted a recent LGBT ordinance passed in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, when urging council to take action.

“We’ve been talking about this ordinance for four months now,” she said. “Now is the time to vote on this.”

Butler resident Bill Criley echoed her sentiment.

“I, for the life of me, can’t understand why you want to drag this thing out,” he said.

He also advocated the creation of a Human Rights Committee, which is outlined in the ordinance, and would arbitrate over claims of discrimination in hiring and housing practices.

“I keep hearing how much it’s going to cost to do this commission,” he said. “It’s not going to cost any more than it costs to do the Shade Tree Commission, and I think that human rights, a mediation panel to arbitrate those questions, is every bit as important as trees and posies.”

Councilwoman Kathy Kline responded to the speakers on the delay in putting the ordinance up for a vote. She stated that she wanted to give new Councilman Kenny Bonus, who started at the end of August, time to educate himself on the matter.

No one against the ordinance spoke Thursday, but Jeff Harris, pastor at Crossroad Community Church in Butler, spoke at Tuesday’s forum meeting.

Harris said that under the ordinance, churches and Christian schools are not protected.

However, he also spoke of divisiveness on social media in recent months between those supporting the ordinance and those against it, and said he was willing to sit down with supporters of the ordinance to come up with a resolution.

He said that while he does not support the ordinance as it stands, he is open to discussion.

“Maybe we can set a new standard for the state,” he said.

Josh Crawford, president of PFLAG, said Thursday that he was willing to meet with Harris.

“We’re not going to get anywhere if we don’t meet,” he said.

He said he was willing to address whatever Harris would want to talk about, but was limited in what he could change regarding the ordinance.

He said that one of the changes he could make is to reduce the amount of people who will be on the Human Rights Committee from 15 to five.

Crawford also said that churches are exempt from the ordinance.

Kline said “as it stands right now” she plans on putting the ordinance on the city’s agenda for October.