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Remembering our history
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Today, December 1, 2008,
is World AIDS Day -- a day for us to be
especially conscious both of the continuing cost AIDS has on our world ... and
the continuing need for a cure. World AIDS Day is the
annual day of remembrance for all those who have passed from this grave disease
and for those who are still alive, but sick and suffering.
Today is also
the 10th Anniversary of the passage of the Human Rights Ordinance in Miami Dade
County, a result of a tremendous grassroots campaign led by SAVE in 1998. Passage of the Human Rights Ordinance
prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in our county in
the areas of employment, housing, finance and public accommodations.
It was also especially significant as a symbol
of hope to the whole movement for equality. Twenty-one years earlier, in 1977,
a similar ordinance was passed in our county, but was repealed months later in
bitter and divisive referendum. Beauty
queen and orange juice spokesperson Anita Bryant launched her Save our Children
anti-gay crusade to repeal the ordinance in 1977, and then took her show on the
road, attacking LGBT people across the country with anti-gay referendums.
While we at SAVE were
disappointed by the passage of discriminatory amendments in Florida,
California, Arizona
and Arkansas
on November 4, it is important to recognize that there are temporary set backs
in the history of every civil rights movement.
Today, the anniversary of the Human Rights Ordinance is a good time to
take note of all the progress that has been made over the past 10 years.
In 2001, SAVE
successfully defended in a public referendum vote a new law passed by the City
of Miami Beach in favor of domestic partner benefits for city employees.
In 2002, SAVE defeated
an attempt to repeal the county's Human Rights Ordinance, winning with 53% of
the vote, ending Anita Bryant's 25-year
legacy of fear.
In 2004, SAVE
successfully lobbied the City of Miami
Beach to pass protection for transgender residents
from discrimination, and to pass a domestic partner registry.
In 2005, SAVE
successfully lobbied the City of Miami
Beach to pass an Equal Benefits Ordinance, which
requires companies that do business with the City to offer domestic partner benefits
to their employees.
In 2006, the North Miami city commission started
providing domestic partner benefits for its city employees.
In 2007, the North Miami city commission passed a
procurement ordinance which requires large companies doing business with the
City to provide domestic partner benefits to their empolyees.
In late 2007, SAVE
successfully lobbied for the inclusion of gender identity and expression in the
proposed anti-discrimination portion of a proposed Citizens' Bill of Rights for
the City of Miami,
which also included sexual orientation.
SAVE then successfully campaigned for passage of the Bill of Rights,
which passed with an amazing 80% of the vote in a January 29, 2008 referendum.
Then, in May 2008, after
years of lobbying and grassroots work by SAVE, the Miami-Dade County Commission
passed a county-wide domestic partner registry and domestic partner benefits
for county employees by an 8 to 4 vote.
Much has been
accomplished, yet there is much work to be done to reach true equality for all
under the law in Miami-Dade and the rest of Florida.
There are many municipalities in Miami-Dade that do not yet have an
anti-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity
and expression, and which do not yet offer domestic partner benefits for their
employees.
Florida 's ban on adoptions by
lesbians and gays has been called into question by the courts, but still remains
on the books. And Amendment 2 presents a
major obstacle that will take years of hard work to overcome before we can
achieve equality for same-sex relationships in Florida.
But today, on this 10th anniversary of a major
success, let us draw hope from the past, and redouble our commitment to the
future.
To honor those that have come before us in similar struggles, SAVE is asking that you give of your time, talent and/or treasure. For more information on how to get involved go to savedade.org of call us at (305) 751-7283
Yours in service,
SAVE Inc.
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About SAVE
Safeguarding
American Values for Everyone (SAVE)
advocates for equal rights for all people regardless of their sexual orientation,
and educates the community about human rights with emphasis on issues affecting
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Established in
1993, SAVE strives to accomplish this mission through education, grassroots
organizing, community mobilization and advocacy. Starting with the landmark
passage of Miami's Human Rights Ordinance in 1998
to recent enactments of domestic partner benefit policies, SAVE continues to
lead the fight for LGBT equality in Miami-Dade County.
12864 Biscayne
Blvd., Ste. 338 l North Miami, FL 33181 l 305.751.7283 o l 305.751.9649 f
http://www.savedade.org l savedade@savedade.org
"2008
Not for Profit of the Year" l
Miami-Dade County Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce |
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