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Melissa RossDecember 23, 2015

The messaging war over expanding Jacksonville’s HRO, or human rights ordinance, is heating up as Christmas draws near, with District 3 City Councilman Aaron Bowman the latest to enter the fray Bowman’s email inbox is already drawing hate messages, advocates say, after his piece in support of updating the ordinance to cover LGBT residents appeared […]

Melissa RossDecember 22, 2015

In an e-blast to supporters and media outlets, the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality is urging supporters to email City Council members and “urge them to pass this important legislation.” “Equally important, we need to make it clear to Council members that we oppose any attempt to put these basic protections on the ballot,” the message […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 18, 2015

In the wake of the Community Conversations on the Human Rights Ordinance, Lenny Curry has been in the process of meeting with the business community and the faith community. The latter conclave between Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and local ministers on Friday morning was marked as a “private meeting” on Curry’s public schedule. But it dealt with […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 17, 2015

On the heels of Bill Gulliford’s bill pushing for an HRO expansion referendum, Councilman Tommy Hazouri filed a bill on Thursday to expand the HRO to cover the LGBT community. The Hazouri bill would expand equal protections under the law, including housing and employment, as well as public accommodations, to people regardless of sexual orientation (real or […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 17, 2015

One of the principal opponents of the Jacksonville HRO expansion: Gene Youngblood of the First Conservative Baptist Church. Youngblood, who posts provocative, politically messaged signs in front of his church, signs routinely lambasting Muslims, homosexuals, and others who run afoul of his interpretation of the Good Book, had another this week. “Did Jacksonville City Council members […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 17, 2015

The “Community Conversations” on the HRO are over. But Lenny Curry’s inbox brims with communiqués from opponents of HRO expansion. The majority of emails received lately oppose legislation and support a referendum. [Note: all grammatical/spelling errors hail from the original documents being quoted.] “I still cannot believe that what is going on is for real… […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 16, 2015

In the wake of Councilman Bill Gulliford calling for a referendum on expansion of the Jacksonville Human Rights Ordinance, one thing is clear. On the HRO, there is no clarity, with business community members, Council members, and the mayor’s office all singing from different hymnals. FloridaPolitics.com caught up with various Jacksonville VIPs today, and notable was […]

Melissa RossDecember 16, 2015

Following on the heels of Tuesday’s third, packed and final “community conversation” on expanding Jacksonville’s human rights ordinance to cover LGBT residents from discrimination, Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Gulliford has emailed media outlets saying he’s filed the same ordinance that was voted on in 2012 “with one addition — a provision for a referendum by […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 15, 2015

The big question going into the final Jacksonville HRO Community Conversation, about the effect of potential legislation on businesses, held at Jacksonville University on Tuesday evening, wasn’t about the proponents of a Human Rights Ordinance expansion to the LGBT community; rather, about the opponents. Longwood Florida’s own Roger Gannam, apparently the Swiss Army knife of […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 14, 2015

Though there is no Human Rights Ordinance expansion legislation yet, the possibility of such has been enough for many members of Jacksonville’s City Council, who have been hearing, pro and con, about the positions of people on this issue. This is especially true with the final Community Conversation on the subject looming at 6 p.m […]

Tag: HRO
Image via AP.

Councilan’s pro HRO op-ed generates hate mail, positive mail pushback

Email insights: Jax Coalition for Equality asks supporters to email City Council in support of the HRO

Jax ministers talk HRO referendum with Mayor Lenny Curry

Tommy Hazouri files all-inclusive HRO expansion bill

Gene Youngblood dodges questions about latest inflammatory anti-HRO sign

Anti-HRO emails continue to flood Lenny Curry’s inbox

Legislative approaches diverge on Jax HRO

Email insights: Jax City Council’s Bill Gulliford calls for HRO referendum

Jacksonville HRO Community Conversations finally over

Don’t discount Jax HRO referendum possibility