By Liz Balmaseda

lbalmaseda@herald.com

Anti-Gay Rights Drive Ignores Facts

One might think three years has been sufficient time to prove to Miami-Dade County's anti-gay rights campaigners that the county's expanded human rights ordinance is nothing to fear.

No pox has been imposed on their churches, no curse on their civic groups or private clubs. They have lost nothing as a result of the county's granting its gay and lesbian citizenry the same rights and protections as everyone else.

In fact, the amendment passed by Miami-Dade commissioners in December 1998 harms no one. It added only two words to an existing ordinance: ``sexual orientation.'' And with those words, it has protected every law-abiding citizen from discrimination in employment, housing, credit and public accommodation.

It hasn't forced homosexuality on exclusionary private groups or religious establishments.

It hasn't dictated sermons.

It hasn't gobbled up anyone's private space.

So, really, there's nothing to ``take back.''

But the leaders of Take Back Miami-Dade, the crusading coalition of more than 250 religious, civic and political organizations, are still out to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of the county.

TRUE MOTIVES REVEALED

It is quite telling that the gay-bashing crusaders continue to push for the repeal of the amendment even though it doesn't infringe on any of their rights. Their very persistence exposes their true motives.

They're in it for the intolerance, not for the democracy.

And they have gone to dramatic extremes in their repeal drive. They have concocted manifestos maligning homosexuals. They have spread lies about the amendment and issues regarding sexual orientation.

During the 2000 presidential election, coalition members, vowing to steer Miami-Dade from ``sinful and abominable'' homosexual influences, fanned out across the polling places. Voters complained of outright harassment and disinformation. The Miami-Dade state attorney's office is investigating allegations of fraud in the crusaders' pro-referendum drive, which they claimed reached 51,000 signatures.

When the county's elections supervisor, David Leahy, began rejecting signatures, expressing his concern over their validity and improper notarization, the Take Back people sued him.

On Tuesday, after three months of reviewing samples of the signatures, Leahy certified just enough of them to force a vote.

Even so, the Take Back pack filed an ethics complaint against Leahy for, essentially, taking so long.

READY FOR THE OUTCOME?

SAVE Dade, the gay rights group that led a broad-based campaign for the amendment, has vowed to challenge the referendum in circuit court. But barring judicial action, or a negative vote from county commissioners next month, the question will appear on the Sept. 10, 2002, ballot during a state primary election.

Coalition leaders will tell you such a vote is the only democratic solution.

They won't tell you how many ways they disrespected democracy in their petition drive.

They are relying on apathy, history and their own powers of mobilization.

They are ready to hit the rewind button to 1977 and play the Anita Bryant anti-gay campaign all over again, hoping for the same result -- the repeal of a human rights measure.

But it's a different decade and a different county. Whatever irrational information they are expecting to spread in what is certain to be a divisive campaign, the crusaders should not underestimate the power of facts and truth.

They wanted a referendum and, indeed, they may get one. The question is: Are they ready for whatever the vote may be?