Florida
Miami Beach
33 of 33 Precincts
Should the City of Miami Beach offer Coverage for Domestic Partners of
Employees.
Yes 5,803 @ 65 %
No 3,156 @ 35 %
Voters gave a major victory for the embattled pro-gay rights
activist group, SAVE Dade.
With 65% of votes cast in favor of city employees domestic partners
receiving the same
benefits as married partners. This represents a great show of support for
equality by the
community at large.
More importantly, it sends a resounding "Lack of Support" ,
to the well funded arm of the
religious right, the anti-gay groups, Take Back Miami-Dade. Who have now
entered a legal
battle over their failed petition drive seeking a referendum to repeal
an amendment to the
county's 1998 human rights ordinance that bans discrimination on the basis
of sexual
orientation. As usual with such groups, who profess high moral
values, yet are lacking
in truth and honesty. Their petitions were riddled with fraudulent
signatures, which were
declared to be invalid. As if their tactics of deception and deceit of
the true purpose of the
petition couldn't garner sufficient signatures, wasn't dishonest
enough. They encourage,
without questioning, even unregistered voters to sign their petitions and
with the same
signatures reappearing over and over. One must ask, why are they not
surprised, when
an election official does their job and verify signatures, so many are
ruled fraudulent. In
this instance, they needed 62,143 legally registered voters signatures,
according to the
Miami Herald, they turned in 66,243, [4,100 more than needed], here's the
big but, 11,952
were declared invalid, meaning they fell 7,852
short. With this said, and with the recent
65% voter support for domestic partners benefits. Do you think they will
wake up and
smell the coffee. Doubt it very much.
Other Victories Against Anti-Gay
Measures:
Michigan
Traverse City
Voters by 58 percent opposed amending the city's charter to prohibit
measures
that would grant gays, lesbians or bisexuals "protected" status and 42
percent
favored the change.
Kalamazoo
A city charter amendment, similar to Traverse City, to prohibit measures
that would
grant gays, lesbians or bisexuals "protected" status failed with 54 percent
opposed
and 46 percent in favor of the measure.
Huntington Woods
A measure to repeal an ordinance approved, only this year, by the city
commission
that bans anti-gay discrimination; 69 percent of voted to uphold ordinance
and 31
percent to repeal.
Loss of Domestic Partners Benefits
Texas
Houston
Voters approved amending the city charter to prohibit the nation's
fourth-largest city
from offering benefits to gay domestic partners. 51.5% of voters favored
prohibiting
the city from offering benefits to domestic partners, while 48.5% opposed
it.
Every victory, no matter what city it take place, is a victory
for us all. Each advances us
one step closer to obtaining our longed denied equal rights, protections,
benefits and for
equality in the work place. Just as every loss or repeal of existing
ordinance, protection,
benefit or law, effects us all. We can help each other and make that
positive difference
we hear and many speak of often. There are many ways we can
support each other efforts,
locally and in cities across the nation. With messages of support to
frontline activists and
supporters. By becoming a cyber activist, contacting our lawmakers and
elected officials
in a mass letter, phone, fax and email campaigns, donating time or money,
etc. However or
whatever each one of is able to. The Anita Bryant's, Dr. Laura's, Home
Depots, Salvation
Army's and others have listened and have seen first hand the
power we command when
united. These most recent victories in Miami Beach, Traverse City,
Kalamazoo, Huntington
Woods should be the encouraging to see how many more minds and hearts are
being open
to fairness and equality. We should all be thankful for those who brought
us these four steps
closer equality. Although we did take one step back, four out of five
wins, looks great to me.
We are grateful to our brothers, sisters and supporters on the
frontlines, whose efforts have
contributed to these victories. In Florida, SAVE Dade, Empower
Broward~Americans for Equality deserves of a lot of credit
for their efforts, for without them, the numbers for domestic
partners could very easily been reversed. Even with their deep
pockets filled with donations
from churches and the religious right going to their arm of intolerance in
South Florida's Dade
and Broward Counties. Take Back Miami-Dade, was taken aback, by the
tireless efforts and
not as well funded, brothers, sisters and supporters. Their relentless work
to educate the public
on the deception of the petition drive aimed at repealing the human rights
ordinances that offers
anti-discrimination of gays and lesbians. And constant pressure challenging
fraudulent signatures
on Take Back Miami-Dade petitions, succeeded in the petitions drives
failure. The battle is not
over and we need to direct our support to ensure their continued success.
For those who may
wish to send messages of support, to congratulate and even
better offer to help them, just click
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