Melissa Ross
As early voting gets under way in Duval County, the Orlando-based Florida Family Action PAC has sent out a voter guide advising socially conservative residents as they to go the polls to choose a new Jacksonville City Council.
“These City Council candidates OPPOSE granting special rights based on ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ and SUPPORT Natural Marriage and Religious Freedom,” the flier reads.
In the at-large races, the PAC endorses Group 1 candidate Kimberly Daniels, Group 3 candidate Geoff Youngblood, and Group 5 candidate Sam Newby.
Other endorsed candidates: District 1’s Mike Anania, District 2’s Al Ferraro, District 7’s Reggie Gaffney, and District 8’s Pat Lockett-Felder.
The flier reminds voters that Election Day is May 19 and provides a telephone number to request a ballot by mail, along with listing early voting sites.
The Florida Family Action PAC describes its mission as one of participating “in political action activities that create a strong and effective voice for Pro-Life, Pro-Marriage and Pro-Family decisions in Florida,” according to the PAC’s website.
It’s not the first time this election season that voters in Duval have received fliers concerning the hot-button issue of Jacksonville’s human rights ordinance. LGBT activists have become increasingly vocal in their push to update the city’s HRO to include language protecting people of other sexual orientations from discrimination in jobs, housing, and public accommodations. Last week, 2011 mayoral candidate Audrey Moran made waves when she used her time at the podium accepting a OneJax Humanitarian Award to call out Mayor Alvin Brown and his challenger Lenny Curry, both in the audience, on the city’s Human Right Ordinance.
Moran, now vice president of corporate and social responsibility for Baptist Health, challenged Brown and Curry to issue a joint statement pledging to support a comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance. She received a standing ovation, according to people at the Thursday event.
“It’s really helpful when the opponents of equality help us out by telling voters who not to support,” says Jimmy Midyette, chair of the Northeast Florida LGBT PAC. Midyette’s PAC has released its own list of endorsed candidates in the Jacksonville races, as has Equality Florida.
