As has been widely reported in recent years, the evolution and devolution of the gay rights movement in Hillsborough County's government has been somewhat shocking for what is now the 13th biggest media market in the U.S.
Hillsborough County's Human Rights Ordinance was first passed in 1988. Protections against discrimination towards gays, lesbians and transgendered people were added in 1991, but a backlash by some members of the community persuaded the board of county commissioners to repeal the measure in 1995.
Which is the way it's remained that way for the last 19 years. Until today.
After initially voting 7-0 in July to include sexual orientation and gender identity to the ordinance, the board then directed the provision to be reviewed by the the county's Human Relations Board and County Attorney. With just a few tweaks, the board then officially gave its imprimatur to the new language with a similar unanimous vote this afternoon. The ordinance now includes the LGBT community to other protected classes in connection with employment, public accommodations, real estate transactions and county contracting and procurement.
Although there was never any doubt that the board would pass what Gary Sasso of the Tampa-based law firm of
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt called "a historic ordinance and a historic vote," there were a few individuals who said that adding gays and transexuals to the list of protected classes who can't be discriminated against in the county (which include race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, disability and marital status) was a bad thing.
"I have a lot of issues with it," said Oscar Hill, speaking during the public comment portion of the hearing. "I believe homosexuality is a dysfunction, personally." He then asked if the board would not begin "enfranchising pedophiles?"
Troy Kluft urged the board to reconsider their approval of the measure, saying that the decision was being made just only for economic reasons, and that it was against "God's law."
That prompted Chris Radulich to say that those two speakers remarks reflected the fact that it should not be the policy of the board to endorse religious standards on a community. And it prompted County Commissioner Les Miller to suggest that some people were taking the spirit of the ordinance out of context. "This ordinance is to protect anyone from discrimination, regardless of who they may be."
"In 1951 when I was growing up, Tampa was segregated. Okay?" said Miller, who recounted how he had been subjected to the N-word while serving in the military. "And I don't think anyone on this dais has faced discrimination like Leslie Miller. This ordinance goes above and beyond homosexuality. It's to protect anyone's rights."
Moments before the board voted on that ordinance, they moved along another pro-LGBT piece of legislation that would create a countywide domestic partner registry. County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, who sponsored both measures, said the county's measure was working on the model that the Tampa City Council passed, and simply expanding it countywide.
There will be a public hearing on the domestic partner registry for a final vote on October 15 at 2 p.m.
