University City, Missouri, is a historic suburb of St. Louis, and as heartland suburbs go, it’s a fairly liberal enclave, so it’s perhaps not surprising that they were the first St. Louis suburb to create a domestic partner ordinance:

This community known for its diversity and progressive ways became on Monday the first municipality in St. Louis County to adopt a domestic partnership ordinance giving same-sex partners and other couples who live together the same rights as spouses in many situations.

The City Council approved the measure 6-1. The vote brought a standing ovation from many in the crowd that packed the council chambers, and some in the audience had tears. Many credited Councilman Terry Crow, who has been active in gay causes and proposed the ordinance.

[…]

Crow, Councilman Steven Kraft and Mayor Shelley Welsch said they hoped University City’s measure would encourage other governments, including St. Louis County, to adopt similar ordinances.

Of course, there was opposition, though I find it funny that those quoted in the article are not University City residents. Here’s one:

Those on the other side included former state Rep. Cynthia Davis, of O’Fallon, who is St. Charles County’s Republican Party chairwoman. She vehemently urged the council to vote down the measure.

“I want to encourage you to keep your community family friendly” and make sure University City “has the right kind of culture you’ll be proud of,” Davis told the council.

Yeah, St. Charles County is all the way to the west, across the river. There are many wingnuts there. So when Ms. Davis encourages a city she does not live in to keep their community “family friendly,” with the “right kind of culture,” I would suggest that they already have, which is why Ms. Davis does not live there. Here’s another outsider, with an opinion:

Joan Schneider of Ballwin also urged the council not to pass the ordinance. “I don’t think University City wants to be the only city to legislate sin in the United States,” she said.

Oh, Joan. Lots of cities have done this. They tend to be places with high property values.  Because, as we all know, the wages of sin are pricing wingnuts out of the neighborhood.

Anyway, congratulations to University City for being the first, and here’s hoping that the rest of St. Louis Count follows their lead.

[h/t Memphis Loves Gays]