Aug 6, 2008 / 00:06 am
A coalition of citizens and businesses in Gainesville, Florida has formed in reaction to the Gainesville City Council’s passage of a ‘gender identity’ ordinance that allows men who perceive themselves as women to use women’s bathrooms in any school, business or public facility. The coalition, called “Citizens for Good Public Policy,” aims to enact a Charter Amendment that would oppose the addition of such categories to the city’s civil rights ordinance.
The group has gathered 8,800 signatures to place the proposal on the March 2009 ballot, though only 5,581 were required.
“The high number of petitions signed by the citizens of Gainesville serves as an indicator of the power held by citizens over elected officials who choose to push a far-left national agenda,” stated Citizens for Good Public Policy president Cain Davis.
If passed by voters, the proposal would remove the “gender identity” category protection enacted by the city council.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center has been acting as legal counsel for Citizens for Good Public Policy.
“The concept of ‘gender identity’ was fashioned by radical homosexual groups and advocates to protect the bizarre sexual behavior of a few people,” President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center Richard Thompson commented in a statement. “In practical effect, these types of ordinances end up being used to intimidate and prosecute Christians and anyone else who raises objections to this form of deviant behavior.”
Dennis Baxley, Executive Director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, said the coalition’s efforts have shown that “extremists with special rights agendas can be stopped, even in a liberal university town.”
“Their successful petition drive demonstrates that government still belongs to the people who want liberty and justice for all, not special rights for special groups,” he continued.
Citizens for Good Public Policy also plans to run a slate of candidates for city council in the upcoming election.