Don't Let Gainesville Legalize Discrimination

From TNG reader and concerned citizen, Jose.

I don't get it...

We rant, we rave, we march, we bitch...

But we don't do anything.

The post-Prop 8 madness got more dizzy queens around the country whipped up into a screaming frenzy than we've ever seen before. We were mad! We wanted our rights!

And now, just three months later, when a city in Florida is five weeks away from voting to strip employment protections for our community, we... well... we don't do much of anything.

I'm going to assume that the reason more people weren't at the phone bank that was organized for last night was because they didn't know about it. To give you the benefit of the doubt, I'll run down what's happening:

We're just four months off of losing in California. Conservative lawyers from Michigan, at the Thomas Moore Law Center have written language for a ballot that would remove protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity from the Gainesville City Charter. On March 24th, voters in Gainesville will be asked to vote on whether or not to amend their charter to 1) strip protections for the LGBT community and 2) ban the city from ever adding any other classes of people not protected by the state.

Proposed Amendment to City Charter Prohibiting the City from Providing Certain Civil Rights:

Shall the City Chapter Be Amended to prohibit the adoption or enforcement of ordinances, regulations, rules, or policies that provide protected status, preferences, or discrimination claims based on classifications, characteristics, or orientations not recognized by the Florida Civil Right Act? The act recognizes race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status. Additionally, this amendment voids existing ordinances concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and other ordinances inconsistent with this amendment.

So... the new fight has already begun and the vote to legalize discrimination against our community is less than five weeks away. That about sums it up.

There are phone banks happening every week at the HRC's 1640 Rhode Island Avenue building, but no one gets called unless you show up.

Last night I was hoping to see 50 people there. I see far more at every TNG event, more RSVPs for Solly's, Homosonic, Taint, and Mixtape, and FAR more people commenting whenever there's something to bitch about, than the handful of students that showed up. Here's a perfect opportunity to use that pent-up frustration you had when we lost Prop 8 to actually do something.

Will you come? I am asking my friends to please show support for your brothers and sisters who will have their rights taken away in Gainesville. Regardless of what you think about HRC or phone banking, your family needs your help. The election is March 24th and voter turnout will be very small. That's why we need to locate those who are supportive to come out and vote no.

Will you show up next Tuesday at 6pm and help fight discrimination against you? To see what we're up against, look at this awful ad.

Or... will you wait until it's over and rant, rave, march, bitch, and... point the finger at the same place that asked for your help?

I hope to see you there.