Who will be affected by proposed Charter Amendment 1?
While Charter Amendment 1 clearly targets lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, its sweeping language has implications far beyond the LGBT community. The proposed amendment affects all citizens of Gainesville, because it takes away Gainesville’s power to create, enact, or enforce nondiscrimination protections beyond the limited protections of the Florida Civil Rights Act. Charter Amendment 1 would remove sexual orientation and gender identity and it would prohibit Gainesville from adding additional protections such as veteran status, socio-economic status, or political party affiliation. In addition, Charter Amendment 1 would remove existing nondiscrimination protections in employment for all categories (race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, marital and familial status) which are broader than those provide by state law. Specifically, Gainesville’s current nondiscrimination protections apply to businesses with 5 or more employees, but sta
