Gainesville, Fla.'s
Amendment 1 -- which, if passed, would have repealed a number
of antidiscrimination protections for LGBT residents in the
college town -- failed at the polls Tuesday. With the majority
of precincts
reporting
, results have the amendment failing with 61% voting no and 39%
voting yes.
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 have eliminated not only
transgender protections but also protections for gays and
lesbians in the North Florida city. It also would have
forbade the city to add protected categories that are
not included in the Florida Civil Rights Act, which does not
recognize sexual orientation or gender identity.