The Winston-Salem City Council voted to include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination policy at its meeting on June 18. That in mind, here are a few statistics on gays and lesbians in the workplace:

• Other N.C. municipalities with such policies include Bessemer City, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, and Raleigh along with Durham, Guilford (approved in March), Orange and Mecklenburg counties. The city of Charlotte is not among them.

• There are no federal laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians. Only 17 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. North Carolina is not among them.

• A May Gallup poll found that 89 percent of Americans 18 and older think homosexuals should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities.

Sources: Center for Policy Alternatives, Equality NC, Gallup Poll.