Miami’s pollsters sure are sneaky – and that’s a good thing!
The Florida city’s January 29th ballot will contain a little publicized bill called the “Citizens’ Bill of Rights”. In addition to aesthetic concerns – like clean air – the measure also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Since hearing the news, right wing activists are pledging to vote against it, reports the Miami Herald. Such a reaction isn’t surprising, nor is gay activist Ron Brenesky’s reaction: “I’m shocked. I commend the city for trying to do this. I commend the spirit, but not the method. We should have been aware. At least we would have gotten our people out to vote.”
Certainly voters deserve to know – and should know – exactly how their vote will effect local politics, the relative secrecy around the Bill may actually be a strength.
Imagine if the social conservatives had caught wind of the queer aspects earlier – they would rally as if their little lives depended on defeating the measure. At least this way our proverbial enemies can’t get their shit together in time to quash potential equality!
emb
This is one of the major things wrong with the LGBT community in this country: “…I commend the spirit, but not the method. We should have been aware. At least we would have gotten our people out to vote.â€
We “could have”?? The vote, as I read this, isn’t until JANUARY 29! As you point out, if the council had publicized this earlier, the rightwing wacko religious nutjobs would have been out thumping their bibles in force. Is the Miami LGBT community so apathetic, so distracted by shiny objects and the pursuit of perfect pecs that organizers need more than seven days to get the word out about such a positive ballot measure? And are they all so busy busy busy that they can’t take thirty minutes to go vote Yes?
Brenesky’s reaction is self-defeating, pathetic, and sad. And it speaks volumes about the state of gay politics in this country.
fabianlander
if you thougt these will impact her election battle,you thought the thing simple. i have change idea with my friends on gaysinglehunt.com
.their opinion surprised me. you should visit them and take their opinion into consideration
alec
Miami, miami, miami….I didn’t hear anything about this from ‘SAVE’ or ‘Florida Red and Blue’. I’m think the Ghey action community was kept in the dark as well.
Oh well; sad how much we have to clarify and restate the original founders inalienable rights every twenty years…Women, Jews, Blacks, Gays, Muslims, immigrants…its always ‘us or them’, its always ‘fight or flight’.
Every society has its extremists, and every moderate seems to point to the other sides extremists as the all encompassing reason why those individuals shouldn’t be allowed to breathe.
sux.