Gay rights fight
hinges on two signatures in Cincinnati

Gay rights advocates in Cincinnati say they're pretty sure they can stop an effort to repeal the city's new gay rights ordinance. The fight now hinges on just two signatures.

Earlier this year the Cincinnati city council passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment and housing. A group called Equal Rights, Not Special Rights then launched an effort to put a repeal question on the November ballot.

They collected more than 14,000 signatures, but the board of elections ruled that only 7,656 were valid--just two more than needed to get the initiative on the ballot.

Now local gay rights groups are challenging the initiative, saying more signatures should be ruled invalid. An attorney for the group Citizens to Restore Fairness claims another 900 signatures appear to be invalid, while the antigay group is filing its own complaint that says too many signatures were invalidated.

The board of elections will write and certify the ballot question by August 24. Each side will then have 10 days to file challenges. (Sirius/OutQ)