Gainesville voters will decide on March 24 a proposed City Charter amendment that seeks to repeal anti-discrimination laws and protections granted to LGBT citizens. If passed, the Charter Amendment would nullify Gainesville's anti-discrimination laws that currently protect LGBT individuals in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. It would become legal to fire someone, or deny someone housing, a loan or service at a hotel or restaurant just for being gay or transgender.

What is more, the amendment would surrender Gainesville’s power to protect its own citizens from discrimination to politicians in Tallahassee. It would prohibit the city from enacting protections not included in state law, such as protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or veteran status.

The vote on this Charter amendment is of great importance to the future of LGBT rights in Florida. Currently, Gainesville is regarded as one of the most progressive cities in Florida outside of the Southeast. It has laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination, and providing for domestic partner benefits. Repealing basic protections for LGBT people in Gainesville would send the wrong message to the Florida legislature, and could encourage similar anti-gay campaigns in other municipalities in Florida. The group seeking passage of the Charter Amendment is using misleading and fear-mongering tactics – the group released a television commercial where a young girl is followed into a park restroom by a scruffy, shady-looking man. The words "your City Commission made this legal" followed the video. Similar misleading tactics were used in Miami-Dade County during a failed attempt to repeal our Human Rights Ordinance in 2002.

Equality is Gainesville's Business (EQGB) is the local campaign in Gainesville fighting against this discriminatory amendment, and has welcomed help from other organizations across Florida in the effort to defeat the amendment such as Equality Florida, GLBT Democratic Caucus, UM for Equality, and SAVE Dade.

SAVE Dade joined the fight in January 2009 in partnership with UM for Equality, organizing phone banks every week aimed to educate likely voters in Gainesville on the harmful effects the proposed amendment would cause the city's LGBT community. Together, SAVE Dade and UM for Equality have held 11 phone banks and logged over 140 volunteer hours on the phones.

In order for SAVE Dade to continue this fight we need for you to give your time and money. For volunteer information contact SAVE Dade at (305) 751-7283 or email at joseph@savedade.org. To donate please use the link below and make your contribution today and ensure that Gainesville is a victory for us and equality!