FLORIDA DIGEST March 13, 2008

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SayNo2!
The campaign to defeat Amendment 2 - the "marriage" amendment - has a newname.
Today, Florida Red and Blue is announcing the creation of SayNo2!
We hope SayNo2 will be easy to remember and reinforce how dangerous
Amendment 2 is to all Floridians. With SayNo2, our message will be simple:
Say No 2 taking away existing benefits and legal protections.
Say No 2 hurting Florida's seniors who are unmarried by choice.
Say No 2 eliminating shared health care and pension benefits.
Say No 2 someone else deciding who can visit you in the hospital.
Say No 2 more government intrusion into our private lives.
With a new name comes a new Internet home: www.SayNo2.com.
Visitors to www.SayNo2.com will find an expanding and welcoming resourceon the "marriage protection" amendment, including facts and stats on theamendment and the campaign, the experience of other states, how to getinvolved, how to contribute, and media resources - including the nine majornewspapers in Florida that have already opposed the amendment.
The Say No 2 campaign's new website, www.SayNo2.com, is a companion toRed and Blue's www.FloridaRedandBlue.com.
Say No 2 urges voters to Vote No on Amendment 2, which will be on theNovember ballot. Amendment 2 is also known as the "same sex marriage ban"amendment, but it's really a benefits ban that will harm ALL unmarriedcouples in Florida, whether they're gay or not.
Don't worry - Florida Red and Blue isn't going anywhere. We'll be behindthe scenes reminding Floridians to SayNo2.
The Say No 2 campaign, as you've come to expect from Florida Red andBlue, is a complete statewide grassroots and media effort, based on in-depthpublic opinion research and strong bipartisan support.
Most importantly, both Say No 2 and Red and Blue are run by you. Werely on your support to tell Floridians about Amendment 2. If you haven'tsigned-up to volunteer, you can do that right now by clicking on the link inthe Quick Links box.
Or if you have not made a contribution to support our new campaign, orwould like to help us again, you can do that right now on our securedonation page by clicking on the link in the Quick Links box.
Thank you for your continued support of Red and Blue and Say No 2. Withyour continued help, that's exactly what Florida will do: Say No 2.
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Stonewall Library and Archives invites you back to Woodstock
Join us on Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 pm, at Fort Lauderdale's Cinema Paradiso(503 SE 6th St) for an intimate cocktail reception with Elliott Tiber, "thegay man who helped give birth to the Woodstock Nation."
We also encourage you to stay for the 8:00screening of his docu-comedy film "Woodstock: Ticket to Freedom"... thestory of how a gay Jewish man from Brooklyn went on to become one of thismost influential figures of the Woodstock nation. Mr. Tiber will alsodiscuss and be signing copies of his new book "Taking Woodstock."
Tickets for the reception are limited and are $20 for members, $25 fornon-members. Tickets for the film screening are $8.00 General Admission /$7.00 Students and Seniors / $5.00 FLIFF members. Cinema Paradiso hasgenerously offered to donate a portion of the ticket sales for thisscreening to Stonewall.
For cocktail reception reservations, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
Jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
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From Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
Good News, Good News, Bad News
The first good news is that, thanks in great part to your participation inyesterday's elections, all three of PBCHRC's endorsed candidates werere-elected by landslides in yesterday's municipal elections.
Congratulations to West Palm Beach City Commissioners Molly Douglas and BillMoss, and to Palm Beach City Council Member Jody Barnett! Keep up the greatwork.
The second item of good news comes to us from Seacoast Utility Authority(SUA), which provides services to the City of Palm Beach Gardens, theVillage of North Palm Beach, the Towns of Lake Park and Juno Beach. Lastweek, an SUA employee asked PBCHRC to meet with the Authority's Director ofAdministrative Services to discuss domestic partner benefits. The meetingtook place this afternoon and I feel very optimistic that by year's end, SUAwill implement domestic partner benefits for their employees..
Now for the bad news.
At yesterday's meeting of the Palm Beach County Board of County Commission,by a 6-1 vote, the Commissioners declined to expand the County's familymedical leave policy to allow employees to take unpaid time off work to carefor their domestic partners in the same manner as married employees may dofor their spouses. The problem was more with family medical leave in generalthan it was with domestic partnership benefits. County staff felt stronglythat there is significant abuse with this federally mandated policy.
Therefore staff urged the Commissioners to vote against the proposal, whichwas made by Commissioner Jeff Koons on behalf of PBCHRC.
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DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
NEEDS YOU TO MAKE SURE IT WILL HAPPEN AND IT WILL HAPPEN ONLY IF YOU GETINVOLVED.
WHERE: MEETING @ GLCC 1717 N.ANDREWS AVE.
WHEN: MARCH 19TH - TIME: 7:30 PM
ANY QUESTIONS- CONTACT MICHAEL ALBETTA-
CHAIRPERSON@FLAGLBTDEM1@BELLSOUTH.NET
954-390-6537
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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Lambda Legal's annual reception honors Beaton & Emery
Over $270,000 Raised One Month Prior to Reception; Kevin Cathcart, ExecutiveDirector of Lambda Legal, will be Guest Speaker
This year's Lambda Legal in Fort Lauderdale 2008 Annual Reception will beheld on March 30, 2008 and will honor Bill Beaton and Ted Emery, long timesupporters of the arts and LGBT organizations. Their local involvementincluded supporting political candidates, The Museum of Art, StonewallLibrary & Archives, GLCC, Arts United, Dolphin Democrats, Broward CountyLibrary, Lambda Legal and many others. It was the couple's strength andsense of purpose that earned them the friendship of so many. After Bill diedalmost 3 years ago, community members helped Ted through some of the pain,but Bill continues to play a role in Ted's life. "Bill is still taking careof me from upstairs".
Courage and determination have always been a way of life for Ted Emery,(pictured) a long time Lambda Legal supporter.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Mail-in election has many challenges
How is this for bitter irony? The Florida Legislature, with the support ofDemocrats, leapfrogged other states by moving its primary election up toJan. 29; but the tactic has backfired, and now the state Democratic partywants to have a do-over election with mail-in ballots. So, instead of beingamong the first states voting, Florida now is desperately trying to be oneof the last.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/454653.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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Fla. politicians coy on amendment stance
Will conservative Sen. Martinez oppose anti-gay measure?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17122
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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Florida Democrats send 'do-over' plan to DNC
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/03/12/0313demsprez.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=0
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CLINTON AND OBAMA DISAGREE ON FLORIDA, MICHIGAN REVOTE
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080312/pl_nm/usa_politics_revote_dc;_ylt=AnQpGhMKpSxUzkTBR060m5Qb.3QA
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Florida Democrats make plea to candidates for vote-by-mail plan
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article415082.ece
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Half-billion in budget cuts approved
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/03/13/a14a_xgr_budget_0313.html
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Florida House committee endorses weapons-at-work bill
The National Rifle Association isn't giving up.
After failing for two years to pass a law allowing employees to carry gunsto work, the NRA won an early victory in the Florida House on Wednesday.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article415034.ece
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Droopy Pants Ban Debated in State Senate
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080313/NEWS/803130584/1004
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Lawmakers try to save land-buy program in lean financial times
http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/CAPITOLNEWS/803130322
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Intelligent Design could slip into science class
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/454417.html
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