Does Charter Amendment 1 somehow make Gainesville safer?
No. Charter Amendment 1 has nothing to do with public safety. Criminal laws are in place to prohibit and punish criminal acts. This is true whether or not the charter amendment passes. The only thing that Charter Amendment 1 does is make discrimination legal by: removing nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; prohibiting Gainesville from adding protections for additional categories such as veteran or socio-economic status; and prohibiting Gainesville from continuing to offer nondiscrimination protections in employment that are stronger than those provided by state law. Does Gainesville’s Human Rights Ordinance (nondiscrimination laws) change criminal law? Nothing in Gainesville’s Human Rights Ordinance changes criminal law. Gainesville’s Human Rights Ordinance prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. Nothing about those provisions legalize behavior that is and should be prohibited by criminal law. Any
