Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 17:37:09 -0500 From: David Elliot Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] Voters defeat discrimination ********************************************* NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE PRESS RELEASE Contact: David Elliot, Communications Director 202-332-6483 ext. 3303 800-757-6476 pager delliot@ngltf.org http://www.ngltf.org 1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC ********************************************* VOTERS DEFEAT DISCRIMINATION IN FALMOUTH, MAINE AND SPOKANE, WASHINGTON But measure to extend civil rights law fails in Greeley, CO Nov. 3, 1999 - Voters in two communities turned back efforts to undo civil rights ordinances based on sexual orientation, while a ballot measure to expand non-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious belief and other factors failed in a third community. In Falmouth, Maine, voters overwhelmingly defeated a proposed city charter amendment that would have prevented the Town Council from banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the areas of employment, housing, credit, education and public accommodations. In Spokane, Washington, voters defeated a similar proposal. It would have repealed a civil rights ordinance based on sexual orientation. The repeal effort failed, with 52.1 percent of the voters rejecting it. Finally, in Greeley, Colorado, voters defeated an attempt to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation, age, disability, race, religion, sex and organizational affiliation. "These ballot measures profoundly affect the vitality of our communities because right-wing extremists use them to demonize us," said Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "NGLTF is committed to supporting local leaders who educate voters about the truth about who we are. Greeley reminds us that voter education is a long process. Across the nation, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are organizing for their rights and educating voters, and more communities are passing nondiscrimination measures." The Policy Institute of the NGLTF operates the Training Initiative, which is aimed at helping state and local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered groups defeat legislative and ballot-based attacks from the right wing. The Training Initiative is led by Dave Fleischer, Senior Fellow with the Policy Institute, who travels the country year-round, to train local activists in voter identification and get-out-the-vote efforts. Last spring, Fleischer visited Spokane, where he conducted a three-day intensive training to help local leaders prepare for the election. "These campaigns teach us that a broad base of voters will support us when we educate them about the reality of our lives," said Fleischer. "In Spokane, the local leadership turned around the election results from just two years ago when we lost on a similar issue 60 percent to 40 percent. The keys are persistence and learning from past experience." At the upcoming annual Creating Change conference convened by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Fleischer will conduct several electoral trainings, entitled "How to Win an Election," "Defeat the Anti-Gay Knight Initiative," and "Door-to-Door Campaigning Against the Knight Initiative." The Knight Initiative is an anti-gay ballot measure that would prohibit the state of California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states. "I'm excited that we are offering at Creating Change the most ambitious series ever of new trainings to help people make sense of and learn from these very difficult challenges," Fleischer said. ____________________________________________________________________ Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people at the local, state and national level. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society. _________________________________________________________________ The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force presents the Creating Change conference - the nation's premier conference for activists and organizers in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement. November 10-14 * Oakland, CA * http://www.creatingchange.org _________________________________________ This message was issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Communications Department. If you have a question regarding this post, please direct it to the contact at the top of this message. To reach the NGLTF Communications Department at NGLTF, please call David Elliot, Communications Director, at 202-332-6483 x3303 or pager 800-757-6476. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, please send an email with "UNSUBSCRIBE PRESSLIST" in the subject and body of your email message to . You may also unsubscribe by visiting http://www.ngltf.org.