Gainesville residents attempt to repeal year-old law opening all public restroom doors to men in dresses, men in pants, men in heat . . .
-- From "Florida Conservatives Fight for Repeal of Transgender Restroom Rule" Associated Press 1/10/09
Foes want to repeal the new protection with a March 24 ballot measure that has divided Gainesville, a generally gay-friendly university city surrounded by staunchly conservative north Florida.
Those who support the transgender protections say their opponents are really unleashing a broader attack on the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender individuals in general.
The city commission approved the restroom provision by a 4-3 vote a year ago. Before the ink could dry, Bible-quoting opponents angrily began working for its repeal.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force notes 108 cities and counties nationwide have similar transgender protections. An attempt to repeal an ordinance in Montgomery County, Md., failed when a court ruled opponents did not collect enough signatures to place it on the ballot.
. . . anti-discrimination protections for people who change their sexual orientation are good for business and foster diversity [noting] that 433 of the Fortune 500 companies have policies covering sexual orientation and 153 cover gender identity.
Cain Davis, chairman of Citizens for Good Public Policy, said the issue is about regulating a "government gone wild" and ensuring public safety, charging that sexual predators could now simply enter a women's restroom claiming to be a transgender individual.
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