Voters in Gainesville, Fla., home to my alma mater, handily defeated an effort to repeal the city’s protections for LGBT people yesterday. Although it is situated in otherwise conservative North Florida, Gainesville is a college town and has been gay-friendly for decades, including when I went to school there in the mid-1990s. But a right-wing group sought to repeal the protections after transgender people were added last year. The group’s slogan was “vote yes on Amendment 1 to keep men out of women’s restrooms.” The scare tactic didn’t work, and the amendment was defeated by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent. Hopefully, this will embolden other cities and states nationwide, including Dallas, to add gender identity to existing protections for LGB people without fear of losing what’s already in place. As I’ve reported previously, transgender people are protected under one of Dallas’ two gay-rights ordinances in a roundabout way, but not under the other.
“keep men out of women’s restrooms”?! I hope the right-wing paranoids are getting tired of telling this lie. As members of the Party of No, they just don’t accept change. At some point these conservative groups have to foot the bill for the cost of holding these referendums. Why should taxpayers have to cover the costs of the ultra-right agenda?
Another way of looking at it… by using the “bathroom issue” and exploiting it to its fullest, they got 42% of the vote. Had they not done so, and just gone with a referendum to remove gay rights of long standing, they might have gotten 12%. Or might not.
John,
Thank you for keeping transgender people and Gainesville in your heart and Stephanie at transgender news, thank you for posting DV articles:)
Transgender, Gay, Lesbian and Allies come away with a lot from the Gainesville victory.
Transgender people should recognize that GLB people are able and willing to sacrifice there own rights for all should the need be.
Allies see the value of incorporating such value driven people into the overall human rights movement.
The right wing must go away with the knowledge that fear based campaigns in the e age are worthless in our democracy.
Transgender people need to seize this opportunity as Marriage equality becomes a focal point for many human rights fights to join in and show our worth as a ally.
Its a win win.