Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 16:04:27 -0500
From: RAKNGLTF@aol.com

Citizens for a Fair Tampa
Press Release 

COURT STRIKES MEASURE FROM MARCH 7 BALLOT
  
Contacts: Nadine Smith 813-881-5724 digital pager
  Todd Simmons 813-223-0573 digital pager

Tampa, FL...March 6, 1995...Supporters of Tampa's anti-discrimination law
 are celebrating tonight after a court ruling struck from the ballot a
referendum that could have legalized job and housing discrimination based on
sexual orientation. 

 Circuit Judge Manuel Menendez on Monday reaffirmed his ruling of late last
week that the wording of the referendum was illegally changed from the
language circulated on petitions by the American Family Association of
Florida, a far-right organization based in Tampa.  

 "The courts acted properly to protect voters' rights by recognizing the
danger and the potential for abuse in allowing altered language to be placed
on the ballot," said Keith Roberts, an attorney for Citizen's for A Fair
Tampa. 

 Citizens for a Fair Tampa, an unprecedented, broad coalition of civic,
religious, business and political groups that reaches across racial and
ethnic communities, were well prepared to defeat the initiative at the polls.


 "This entire campaign, including this ruling,  is a victory for the citizens
of Tampa," said Nadine Smith, campaign manager for CFT.  "Across the city,
people have sent a strong message to the AFA that its agenda of
discrimination is not welcome in Tampa." 

 CFT mobilized hundreds of volunteers, raised more than $60,000 and reached
more than 100,000 voters through an intensive voter education effort.  Polls
showed that those efforts paid off: roughly  6 out of every 10 voters in
Tampa opposed the referendum.  That opposition included overwhelming support
from African American, Latino and Jewish voters.

 "We will no longer fall for the divide and conquer tactics of these
extremist groups," said the Rev. Dr. Mozella Mitchell , Presiding Elder Tampa
District of the AME Zion Church.  "An agenda that seeks to pit citizen
against citizen in an effort to legalize discrimination is an agenda that we
all must reject."

   Tampa's Human Rights Ordinance bans discrimination in employment, housing,
 public accommodations and real estate transactions.  It protects all
citizens regardless of characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, age,
religious affiliation, marital status, disability and sexual orientation.  It
was only the sexual orientation provision that the AFA sought to repeal,
falsely casting it as a "gay rights" law that gives "special protections" to
lesbians and gay men.  

 "For years, the AFA and its leader, David Caton, have circulated outrageous
lies to discredit a law that has been very good for this city," said CFT
Chairman John Dunn.  "It's gratifying to see that people are no longer being
taken in by the AFA's lies and are taking a stand against discrimination."

 CFT's Vote No On 1 campaign drew support from the Greater Tampa Chamber of
Commerce, the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Mayor Sandra Freedman, the
St. Petersburg Times, The Tampa Tribune, La Gaceta, the Tampa/Hillsborough
Hotel and Motel Association, Hillsborough County Clergy Association President
Rev. M. Richard Malivuk, City Council Members Linda Saul-Sena, Rudy Fernandez
and Scott Paine, Hillsborough County Commissioners Ed Turanchik and Sandra
Wilson, state Rep. Les Miller, the Greater Tampa Urban League, the Human
Rights Task Force of Florida and a long list of candidates vying for Tampa
mayor and city council seats in Tuesday's election.

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