About 80 UF students and faculty members marched through campus on Friday in protest of the Charter to Amendment 1, which would legalize discrimination based on sexual orientation. Protesters presented a letter for UF President Bernie Machen, in hopes of gaining administrative support for their cause.
The proposed charter will be voted on during city elections on March 24, after a local conservative group collected enough signatures from registered voters in Alachua County to get the issue on the ballot.
If passed, the legislation could affect Gainesville's gay community because it would make discrimination based on sexual identity or sexual orientation legal.
Employees could be fired, refused service at a restaurant or kicked out of their home, according to pamphlet issued by Equality is Gainesville's Business, which hosted the protest.
The rally started on Turlington Plaza where marchers chanted, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Amendment 1 has got to go," before marching through the Plaza of Americas and coming to a halt at Tigert Hall.
Garrett Garner, president of the organization, presented a letter to Interim Dean of Students Paige Crandall, who met them on the doorsteps of Tigert. The letter was addressed to UF President Bernie Machen and expressed student and staff opposition to the legislation, encouraging administrators to take an active stance against it.
UF librarian Flo Turcotte said she participated in the march because the charter, if passed, would create a hostile climate in Gainesville.
"When one person's rights are taken away everyone is threatened," she said. "It doesn't have to affect you directly for you to become concerned."
UF anthropology senior Loren Jones agreed and said Gainesville residents should care about maintaining equality.
"(Gainesville) will hurt its reputation as an open and welcome community," she said, adding that Machen's support is vital.
"Unfortunately, students' voices don't seem to be heard," she said. "We want an administration who speaks on our behalf. He has credibility. His support will go a long way."
Garner said he wanted UF's administration to join alongside the faculty senate and the student senate, which both passed resolutions last week speaking out against the legislation.
Many of the protesters sported Student Government party shirts and took a break from campaigning for upcoming SG elections to march.
Orange and Blue Party Sen. Ben Cavataro, who co-authored the student senate resolution against Charter to Amendment 1, took part in the protest.
He said students should take an active interest in citywide issues.
"We don't live in a bubble," Cavataro said. "What the city does affects UF."
UF English senior Andrew Hix, who also participated in the rally, said it is important for students to vote in the city elections.
He said the legislation was reminiscent of racially discriminatory actions from the 1960s.
"It took a lot of money and time to do something that shouldn't have been done in the first place," he said. "This issue represents a serious backslide in civil rights."
