Jacksonville business leaders re-up support for reconsidered gay rights law

GayPride spectators carrying Rainbow gay flags during Montreal Pride Parade
An appeals court found fault with how the law passed in 2017.

A group of Jacksonville business leaders offered support Tuesday for the City Council passing a gay-rights bill for the second time in three years.

The Human Rights Ordinance expansion was originally passed in 2017, but a recent appeals court decision sided with plaintiffs challenging how the law was passed. The now canceled ordinance requires cure legislation.

The Jacksonville Civic Council, which pushed hard for the legislation for close to a decade, reminded local lawmakers not to get wobbly when it comes to passing the bill again.

The City Council will hold a public hearing, via Zoom, on the legislation later Tuesday, setting up committee votes next week and a full City Council vote a fortnight hence.

“We are writing today to assure you that our position remains unchanged in the wake of the 1st District Court of Appeals’ recent decision on process technicalities in the recent passage of an HRO, and to request your support for the legislative remedy currently before the Jacksonville City Council,” asserted a letter signed by JCC Chairman John Delaney and CEO Jeanne Miller.

“In the past, the absence of a Human Rights Ordinance was a detriment to the economic and cultural development of our community, as Jacksonville was one of the few remaining major cities in Florida without such an ordinance. The passage of an HRO in 2017 strengthened our economy, made Jacksonville more attractive to people and businesses, and advanced a culture of fairness and respect for all,” the letter added.

The JCC position comes after the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce offered its own affirmation.

“Passing the HRO in 2017 told everyone outside the community what we already know – that we are an inclusive, welcoming community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We support the effort to correct this technical issue and pass the legislation as intended three years ago.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


6 comments

    • Independence

      May 26, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      Great point ad2020

      IF they say the majority (60%) of people in Jacksonville support the bill

      They don’t want to prove it by putting it on the ballot?

      Make sense to you?

  • Astute Observer

    May 26, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    This is an interesting turn of events. The Jacksonville City Council will have an opportunity to undue the horrendous mistake it made three years ago. We’ll see how council members vote this time on the grossly-misnamed “Human Rights Ordinance.” For sure, the only openly homosexual council member, Rory Diamond (who was not on the council in 2017), will be leading the charge for this blatantly anti-Christian ordinance.

  • Frankie M.

    May 26, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    Wow I had no idea Rory was a log cabin Republican? That explains alot. Regardless of whether that is the case or not I would expect Rory to vote against the HRO because he does not support special treatment for any groups unless they’re charter schools. Business leaders need to get behind Hazouri if they want this thing passed again. This is his baby for which he got his 30 pieces of silver in kind.

    • Astute Observer

      May 26, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      http://eqflpac.org/node/4175

      During Rory’s various campaigns for Neptune Beach City Council/JAX City Council, he received boat loads of $$$ from many homosexual activist donors. Rory will be voting for the HRO — he’s a RINO who has also long supported abortion “rights.”

  • Reb

    May 26, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    All of these so called business leaders, dont be surprised when men, who, on any given day, feel like women, will be coming into your business and using the women bathroom, just to prove a point. Just like we will be doing at the women’s bathrooms on the bottom floor of city hall, just to make a point of the stupidity of this law.

Comments are closed.


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