Orlando Pride Delivers Serious Themes
October 13, 2008 by James Hipps · Leave a Comment
From orlandosentinel.com.
On the 10th anniversary of the murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard and a few weeks before Floridians vote on an amendment to restrict gay rights, Orlando’s “Come Out With Pride” event Sunday was as much about self-preservation as pride.
Emotional pleas from the parents of slain gay men were followed by emotional pleas from political activists to defeat Amendment 2, which would put a ban against gay marriage into the Florida Constitution. Opponents say it would also jeopardize domestic-partner benefits for unmarried couples.
“I don’t want to beat it by 40 percent. I want to show the majority of Floridians are against the discrimination that Amendment 2 represents,” said state Rep. Scott Randolph.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer also voiced his opposition to Amendment 2, which requires 60 percent of the vote to win.
Orlando Cleared to Offer Same-Sex Partner Benefits
October 1, 2008 by James Hipps · 1 Comment
Orlando’s Mayor Buddy Dyer announced Thursday the city plans to extend domestic-partner benefits to gay city employees when the City Council approves changes to its employee health-care policy this coming Monday.
Orlando is the first local government in central Florida to offer same-sex partner benefits to it’s employees, but joins about two dozen other Florida cities which provide such benefits.
Dyer commented; “We’ve been looking at doing it for quite a while. I think it’s the right thing to do.” Same-sex partners will have to sign an affidavit declaring they are in a committed relationship.
But the domestic-partner benefits will apply only to same-sex couples, as unmarried straight couples “have the option of marriage,” Dyer said.
