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trans2009-03-25 10:02 am
pikake.livejournal.com) wrote in trans2009-03-25 10:02 am
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opposition to gainesville charter amendment one ... WON. woo!
As follows is a press release from Equality Florida... :)
**** Victory In Gainesville ****
Voters Reject Fear Tactics and Discrimination
March 24, 2009
(GAINESVILLE, FL) Equality Florida joins with local leaders in
Gainesville and fair-minded people across the state and nation
in celebrating today's decisive victory over discrimination and
fear embodied in Gainesville Charter Amendment 1.
Voters rejected the amendment tonight by a vote of 58% to 42%.
If passed, Charter Amendment 1 would have repealed existing
civil rights protections for Gainesville's gay and transgender
community.
For over a year, backers of the amendment have waged a
fear-based campaign filled with outright lies and media
campaigns that dehumanized gay and transgender people.
Specifically, these extremists drew a target on the backs of
transgender people with bigoted messages intended to instill
fear in the hearts of Gainesville citizens.
Led by Equality Is Gainesville's Business, a coalition of local,
state and national organizations worked together to stop
discrimination from being legalized in Gainesville.
The sweeping language of the ballot initiative, imported to
Florida by a far right conservative group in Michigan, would
have also prohibited the City of Gainesville from ever providing
nondiscrimination protections beyond those listed in the Florida
Civil Rights Act.
"Supporters of Charter Amendment 1 waged a campaign that
blatantly lied to voters about the protections Gainesville has
provided transgender citizens." stated Joe Saunders EQGB
campaign manager. "By targeting transgender people, proponents
of Charter Amendment 1 have proven the need for inclusive
anti-discrimination laws. Voter's embraced Gainesville's
anti-discrimination laws tonight when they rejected Amendment
1."
Saunders is also the field director for Equality Florida.
"This is a local victory but it's significance reaches across
our state and our nation. Those pushing Amendment 1 are part of
a national effort to repeal LGBT protection in communities
across the country," said Nadine Smith, executive director for
Equality Florida. "This victory sends a strong signal that we
will not allow extremists to turn back the progress we have made
to secure equality for everyone."
The local team waged a strong grassroots campaign reaching
voters and unmasking the real human impact of the proposed
amendment.
"Today Gainesville voters showed that they value the rights of
all citizens," said EQGB Chair and Gainesville City Commissioner
Craig Lowe. "They have rejected the politics of fear and instead
chose to retain the values that make our city such a beautiful
place. Today, our voters showed their true character by
emphasizing that, in Gainesville, every person matters."
A broad array of organizations came out to publicly oppose
Charter Amendment 1. These organizations include: the
Anti-Defamation League - Florida, the ACLU of Florida, Equality
Florida, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Lambda
Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Organizations United
Together (O.U.T.), UM (University of Miami) for Equality,
Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, Florida
NOW, Gainesville Area NOW, Judy Levy NOW PAC, Alachua County
Democratic Party, Alachua County Green Party, Alachua
County/Gainesville League of Women Voters, Alachua County NAACP,
Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Gainesville Area AIDS
Project (GAAP), Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women,
Human Rights Council of North Central Florida, Interweave,
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, North Central
Florida Central Labor Council, Pride Center of North Central
Florida, Social Justice Council of the Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Gainesville, Trinity Metropolitan Community
Church, United Church of Gainesville Social Concerns Committee,
University of Florida Students for Change, Students for a
Democratic Society @ UF, Wild Iris Books and Wild Words Café,
University of Florida Faculty Senate, University of Florida
Presidential LGBT Concerns, and University of Florida Student
Senate.
Equality Florida is Florida's only statewide human rights
organization dedicated to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people. Through education and advocacy, the
organization is committed to building a state of equal rights
for all Floridians, inclusive of all sexual orientations and
gender identities.
###
I didn't think that the charter amendment *would* pass, but I was still cynical and skeptical, to say the least. I don't live in Gainesville [I live a few hours away] but we were watching this one pretty closely all over the state. I'm super proud of all the folks who worked hard on building the opposition to the amendment. <3
**** Victory In Gainesville ****
Voters Reject Fear Tactics and Discrimination
March 24, 2009
(GAINESVILLE, FL) Equality Florida joins with local leaders in
Gainesville and fair-minded people across the state and nation
in celebrating today's decisive victory over discrimination and
fear embodied in Gainesville Charter Amendment 1.
Voters rejected the amendment tonight by a vote of 58% to 42%.
If passed, Charter Amendment 1 would have repealed existing
civil rights protections for Gainesville's gay and transgender
community.
For over a year, backers of the amendment have waged a
fear-based campaign filled with outright lies and media
campaigns that dehumanized gay and transgender people.
Specifically, these extremists drew a target on the backs of
transgender people with bigoted messages intended to instill
fear in the hearts of Gainesville citizens.
Led by Equality Is Gainesville's Business, a coalition of local,
state and national organizations worked together to stop
discrimination from being legalized in Gainesville.
The sweeping language of the ballot initiative, imported to
Florida by a far right conservative group in Michigan, would
have also prohibited the City of Gainesville from ever providing
nondiscrimination protections beyond those listed in the Florida
Civil Rights Act.
"Supporters of Charter Amendment 1 waged a campaign that
blatantly lied to voters about the protections Gainesville has
provided transgender citizens." stated Joe Saunders EQGB
campaign manager. "By targeting transgender people, proponents
of Charter Amendment 1 have proven the need for inclusive
anti-discrimination laws. Voter's embraced Gainesville's
anti-discrimination laws tonight when they rejected Amendment
1."
Saunders is also the field director for Equality Florida.
"This is a local victory but it's significance reaches across
our state and our nation. Those pushing Amendment 1 are part of
a national effort to repeal LGBT protection in communities
across the country," said Nadine Smith, executive director for
Equality Florida. "This victory sends a strong signal that we
will not allow extremists to turn back the progress we have made
to secure equality for everyone."
The local team waged a strong grassroots campaign reaching
voters and unmasking the real human impact of the proposed
amendment.
"Today Gainesville voters showed that they value the rights of
all citizens," said EQGB Chair and Gainesville City Commissioner
Craig Lowe. "They have rejected the politics of fear and instead
chose to retain the values that make our city such a beautiful
place. Today, our voters showed their true character by
emphasizing that, in Gainesville, every person matters."
A broad array of organizations came out to publicly oppose
Charter Amendment 1. These organizations include: the
Anti-Defamation League - Florida, the ACLU of Florida, Equality
Florida, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Lambda
Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Organizations United
Together (O.U.T.), UM (University of Miami) for Equality,
Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, Florida
NOW, Gainesville Area NOW, Judy Levy NOW PAC, Alachua County
Democratic Party, Alachua County Green Party, Alachua
County/Gainesville League of Women Voters, Alachua County NAACP,
Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Gainesville Area AIDS
Project (GAAP), Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women,
Human Rights Council of North Central Florida, Interweave,
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, North Central
Florida Central Labor Council, Pride Center of North Central
Florida, Social Justice Council of the Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Gainesville, Trinity Metropolitan Community
Church, United Church of Gainesville Social Concerns Committee,
University of Florida Students for Change, Students for a
Democratic Society @ UF, Wild Iris Books and Wild Words Café,
University of Florida Faculty Senate, University of Florida
Presidential LGBT Concerns, and University of Florida Student
Senate.
Equality Florida is Florida's only statewide human rights
organization dedicated to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people. Through education and advocacy, the
organization is committed to building a state of equal rights
for all Floridians, inclusive of all sexual orientations and
gender identities.
###
I didn't think that the charter amendment *would* pass, but I was still cynical and skeptical, to say the least. I don't live in Gainesville [I live a few hours away] but we were watching this one pretty closely all over the state. I'm super proud of all the folks who worked hard on building the opposition to the amendment. <3