Miami Mayor Urges End To Anti-Gay Initiative
by Fidel Ortega
365Gay.com Newscenter in Miami

(December 21, Miami) Fearing a battle that could deeply divide Miami residents and severely damage the tourist industry, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas wants a conservative Christian group to drop its bid to overturn the county's gay rights amendment.

Pelelas said he wants to meet with organizers of the petition drive to "appeal to their conscience".

Take Back Miami-Dade, a coalition of right-wing religious and civic groups is pressing to repeal a 1998 amendment to the county's human rights ordinance that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Earlier this week, the county Elections Supervisor, David Leahy, certified the group's petition calling for a September 2002 referendum vote on the issue.

Gay rights group SAVE Dade said it is preparing for "all out war" to preserve the law.

In a statement, Penelas said, "At this time our community needs to focus on issues that unite us...A referendum to repeal the Miami-Dade human rights ordinance will only serve to divide.''

The mayor said, "We have taken many positive steps to improve our image as an area that embraces diversity.''

Thursday night Take Back Dade rebuffed the mayor's plea.

"Mayor Penelas' statement is an embarrassment and an insult to the intelligence of the citizens of Miami-Dade,'' Take Back Miami-Dade's communications director, Eladio José Armesto, said in a written reply.

Armesto said it was time for the mayor to "stop pandering to powerful and well-connected interests, who have shamelessly used every manner of corruption to violate the people's constitutional right to vote in a referendum.''

Gay activists and SAVE Dade have launched a suit to challenge the validity of the petition certified by elections officials.

SAVE Dade has alleged that Take Back Miami-Dade's petition was marred by fraud, claiming many of the more than 50,000 signatures were forgeries. The state attorney's office is investigating the allegations.

©365Gay.com Ltd® 1999/2000/2001