Antidiscrimination Repeal Goes to Vote in
Gainesville

Voters in Gainesville, Fla., today are weighing a charter amendment that would repeal antidiscrimination protections for LGBT residents in the university town.

The repeal movement began last year after the city commission revised the antidiscrimination law to include protections for transgender people in employment, housing, and public accommodations -- including restrooms.

Opponents using scare tactics about mixed-sex public bathrooms gathered enough signatures to place a referendum of the protections on the ballot. Charter Amendment 1 would eliminate not only transgender protections but also protections for gays and lesbians in the North Florida city. It would also forbid the city to add protected categories that are not included in the Florida Civil Rights Act, which does not recognize sexual orientation and gender identity.

Polls close in Gainesville at 7 p.m. EST.

The county elections supervisor told the Associated Press that the number of ballots cast in early voting on Charter Amendment 1 was quadruple the average for a city election.