As one of the most progressive cities in the U.S., Gainesville prides itself on being a place where people from all walks of life can reside without fear of discrimination.
Americans across the nation descend upon our city with hopes of being treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In Gainesville, citizens do not have to worry about losing their jobs or homes because they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Simply put, people are protected by local anti-discrimination laws to ensure that the quality of life is consistent for everyone that calls the city home.
Sadly, the quality of life in Gainesville may change forever if we do not take action against a devious agenda.
March 24th's city election ballot will feature a proposed amendment to the Gainesville City Charter titled, "Charter Amendment 1." If passed, the bill will eliminate the city's power to legally protect citizens from discrimination and instead hand that power over to the state. This legislation seeks to unfairly strip the rights of innumerable citizens - a gross misstep backward for a country that prides itself as open to "change."
By saying "yes" to Charter Amendment 1, city law would no longer recognize Gainesville's Human Rights Ordinance and be forced to revert to the Florida Civil Rights Act. Unfortunately, there is a stark difference between the two pieces of legislation as the state act does not include protection for gender identity or sexual orientation. Furthermore, Gainesville would not have the opportunity to add additional protections in the future to ensure equal rights regarding veteran status, socio-economic status and political party affiliation. Existing special protections would be stripped the moment the act was passed.
Gainesville is hardly alone in championing anti-discrimination protections for all of its residents. There are more than 100 other cities across the country who have adopted a progressive mentality to ensure that every citizen can lead a life without the fear of hate. If Gainesville loses its ability to provide a place to live free of inequality and discrimination, who is to say that the other cities won't soon face a similar fate?
The issue at hand is not about whether you agree or disagree with the lifestyle choices of a critical portion of our population. Rather, you must ask yourself if you believe that all Americans should be able to enjoy the most basic of civil rights.
The issue is not about "men in women's bathrooms," and it's not about the breadth of local government. Our city government has a responsibility to its citizens to protect them from unfair treatment. Gainesville has gone to great lengths to protect all its citizens from institutionalized hate and has extended protection to groups of people who face oppression from all angles. With the passage of this amendment, people who already live as second-class citizens would lose all legal recourse against discrimination - their livelihoods could be yanked out from under them, and all they could do is suck it up and move. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people must then fight even harder within a system that already considers them inferior.
Such an example paints a bleak picture in the minds of the Editorial Board. We wonder how far-right groups can possibly rationalize such outlandish legislation when it clearly exudes overtones of sheer hate.
Gainesville cannot be forced to take a step backward considering all of the progress that we've made. When people think of our city, they must be able to view it as a model for how equality can and will work anywhere in the country.
If passed, Charter Amendment 1 would hinder the city's ability for growth as businesses, and students will have no choice but to go elsewhere.
With the livelihoods of so many innocent people at stake, we implore you to take a strong stand against discrimination and vote "no" on Charter Amendment 1.
