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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 2002)
urmumnews 2Û. 2002 Jew el A . Robinson D ade J a V u B’Zillion $$$ Producer Miami ends political struggle that began 25 years ago Compiled by Jim Radosta ctivists cele brated Sept. 10 the defeat of a ballot question that had at tempted to repeal a 4-year-old provision of the Miami-Dade County Human Rights Ordi nance prohibiting discrimina tion against gay men and les bians. The win— 53 percent to 47 percent— is being hailed as a turning point in 25 years of struggle against the right wing’s vicious campaign of anti-gay ballot measures. “We have made history with this cam paign,” said Lorri L. Jean, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force exec utive director. “T o n ig h t’s victory signals the death knell of what has been the favored tactic o f religious According to Lorri L. Jean (left, at April’s Northwest G L B T political extremists for the Power Summit), the landmark victory proves N GLTF’s last decade— trying to foist campaign strategy works their brand o f bigotry on tion. And a 17-year-old man was charged with everyone through anti-gay ballot measures.” falsely swearing to witness someone sign a petition. The amendment was placed on the ballot by the group Take Back Miami-Dade to delete dding to the drama were widespread voting sexual orientation from a nondiscrimination irregularities and reports of illegalities that ordinance passed in 1998 by the county. The effectively disenfranchised swaths of Miami statute includes protections for gay men and Beach and other queer voting strongholds in the lesbians in employment, housing, credit and county. NGLTF called on Gov. Jeh Bush and the accommodations. U.S. Justice Department to investigate the fail This battle was important because Miami- ures of the state’s election system “so that the Dade is the county where orange juice queen G L BT community and indeed all Floridians will Anita Bryant helped repeal a similar ordinance in never again he denied the opportunity to vote 1977 under the slogan “Save Our Children.” Her and have those votes counted,” Jean said. mud-slinging campaign largely is credited for giv Rampant breakdowns in new touch-screen ing birth to the modem anti-gay movement. voting machines, failure to open polling places in a timely manner, untrained personnel and refusal imilar to Bryant’s crusade, the opposition this by election officials to provide paper “provision time also resorted to dirty tricks. It distributed al” ballots when voting machines malfunctioned a flier in black churches that misled potential left voters and observers alike stunned and voters by saying, “Martin Luther King Jr. would angered. Numerous complaints were registered by be outraged if he knew homosexual extremists people who went to the polls to vote “no” on the were abusing the civil rights movement to get ballot measure but were prevented from doing so. special rights based on their sexual behavior.” In some precincts, there was no ability to Coretta Scott King repudiated the misinfor vote on any initiatives. In others, voters com mation through a spokesman, saying that her plained that when they voted “no” on the late husband, who never publicly addressed the anti-gay ballot measure, “yes” votes appear to issue of homosexuality, told her he was con have registered instead. Many polling places cerned about the discrimination suffered by gay were not operative until after 1 p.m., more men and lesbians. Groups like the National than five hours later than scheduled. Association for the Advancement of Colored “It’s a shame that so many of the votes of People and Urban League were in favor of our supporters were not counted,” said Georg retaining the ordinance banning discrimination, Ketelhohn, No to Discrimination/Save Dade and other black community leaders renounced co-chairman. “Had the election gone proper the right-wing smear tactics. ly, our margin of victory would have been “It’s an affront to every American and par even greater.” ticularly African Americans to misappropriate While problems were reported in precincts the words and image of Dr. King to promote countywide, Miami’s Jewish and gay voters were intolerance and discrimination,” said U.S. Rep. disproportionately hit by machine malfunction Carrie Meek, D-Fla. “That is shameful, because and other irregularities. These communities rep Dr. King used his entire life to bring people resented some of the strongest opposition to the together and to prevent the majority from dis measure. criminating against the minority.” “In 2000, African Americans in southern Additionally, a key member of the campaign Florida were denied the right to vote and to and several underlings were arrested and accused have their votes counted. In 2002, the gay and of voter fraud last month. Miami-Dade Christian Coalition chairman Anthony Verdugo was Jewish communities are facing the same in excusable fate," Jean said. “How many times charged Aug. 16 with falsely swearing that he must historically oppressed communities be had witnessed someone sign a petition. denied the right to participate in elections under Notary public Ralph Patterson also was arrest the watch of Jeb and George W. Bush?" 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