The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, the official gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender caucus of the Florida Democratic Party, is excited to announce the first organization meeting for a chapter in Tallahassee and Leon County. We are building on our state-wide network of chapters to turn out the GLBT community to the polls like never before in Florida's history.
From the Republican Party contributing $300,000 to the state constitutional amendment that would ban marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian Floridians, to stopping legislation that would protect students from bullying or allow gay foster parents to adopt, we must fight back by electing progressive, common sense Democrats.
The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 18 at 7:00 PM in the Family Tree Community Center located at:
310 Blount Street, Suite 205
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Take Gaines Street to Bronough Street (you can only go one way on Bronough) and turn Right on Blount Street. It's the first building on the Right.
You can learn more about the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus by going to http://www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org or contacting me at phillip@floridaglbtdemocrats.org.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Capitol City GLBT Democrats
Posted by Phillip Perry at 8:05 PM
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Washington Blade Outs John Dowless and Kirk Fordham
The Washington Blade reports that two advisors to an anti-gay Senate candidate in Florida are gay: John Dowless and Kirk Fordham.
John Dowless, formerly the executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, was hired by Mel Martinez to help his campaign reach out to conservative Christians.
According to the Blade, "Martinez in particular has sought to distinguish himself as the candidate perhaps most vocal against gay rights, including running a statewide radio ad encouraging the Senate to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, and attacking one of his opponents for supporting hate crimes laws that would include protections based on sexual orientation."
Kirk Fordham is employed as Martinez's finance director.
http://www.washblade.com/2004/7-23/news/national/antigaysen.cfm
In 1999, Dowless quit the Christian Coalition to work as the Florida director for the presidential campaign of millionaire Steve Forbes. Dowless promoted Forbes as a conservative alternative to Bush.
He told the St. Petersburg Times that social conservatives were upset that Bush was not outspoken enough on abortion. Forbes had pledged to appoint only judges who opposed abortion.
At the time, Dowless also said one reason he resigned from the Christian Coalition was because of his frustration at the group’s inability to push its agenda through the Florida Legislature as much as he would have liked.
In 2000, Dowless ran an unsuccessful bid for a Republican House seat in District 40, an area around Orlando. He lost to Rep. Andy Gardiner in a 54 to 46 percent tally.
Throughout his career, both at the Christian Coalition and after, Dowless has had a long history of pushing an anti-gay agenda.
As far back as 1994, Dowless, then the director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, was quoted in the New York Times opposing the popular Gay Days event at Disney World in Orlando because it allegedly was a threat to kids.
“This whole day is focusing on sex,” Dowless was quoted as saying, “and when you put these elements together, there is the greater possibility of illegal activities on children or some harassment.”
In 1997, Dowless, still in his role as director of the state’s Christian Coalition, cheered when the University of Florida rescinded a student spouse ID card that had been given to the partner of a lesbian student. The card gave spouses of students special advantages, such as use of the university’s libraries and recreational facilities.
“Marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman,” Dowless told the Alligator, the student publication.
In 1998, Dowless successfully blocked a move by the state legislature to write the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into the state Constitution. The move would have prohibited discrimination based on a variety of attributes, including gender.
But, according to the St. Petersburg Times, Dowless opposed the gender provision, saying it would be a possible loophole for allowing same-sex marriages.
And in 2002, Dowless created a misleading phone message for Gov. Jeb Bush. The message, sent to 50,000 social conservatives in the state, claimed that voters should cast their lot with Bush over Democratic rival Bill McBride because Bush was “the only candidate who supports traditional marriage.”
But the statement was false. McBride did oppose same-sex marriage, and after a public controversy, the phone message campaign was pulled.
Just last year, Dowless was scheduled as one of 25 guest speakers at a “Reclaiming America for Christ” conference held Oct. 24-25 in Fort Lauderdale. Promotional materials indicate he spoke about grassroots organizing among conservative Christians.
Other speakers included such conservative religious icons as Roy Moore, the ousted chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Interestingly, of the 25 speakers listed, only the Dowless entry did not include a photo with his bio.
Kirk Fordham, the finance director for Mel Martinez’s campaign, is also a gay man.
But unlike Dowless, Fordham does not have a history of anti-gay political activity, and some gay activists consider him already out.
In the past, Fordham has told the Blade that he is “out in the community but not in the press.” The Blade reported last week that Fordham is gay.
Before moving to the Martinez campaign earlier this year, Fordham was the campaign manager and then the chief of staff for Florida Congressman Mark Foley, a Republican.
It has been widely reported that Foley is gay, but the congressman continues to refuse to discuss his sexual orientation. When reports about it surfaced during his aborted Senate campaign last year, Foley held a news conference denouncing the “rumors” and calling the talk about his sexual orientation “revolting and unforgivable.”
Jason Kello, a spokesperson for Foley, declined to say if Fordham was out while he worked as Foley’s chief of staff.
“We’re not going to get into a discussion on Kirk’s personal life,” Kello said. “Kirk was a terrific chief of staff and Congressman Foley was sorry to see him go. Kirk did tremendous work here, and I can say there was a very comfortable office environment.”
Kello said it would not matter one way or the other to Foley if Fordham were gay. Foley has a nondiscrimination policy for his employees that includes protection based on sexual orientation, Kello said.
An August 2003 article in the Advocate, the national gay magazine, matter-of-factly identified Fordham as Foley’s gay chief of staff.
Repeated phone calls to both Fordham’s office number and cell phone remained unreturned by press time.
Jennifer Coxe, a spokesperson for Mel Martinez, refused to comment on whether or not Martinez knows Fordham and Dowless are gay. She also declined to comment on how Martinez squares having close personal gay advisers while running anti-gay ads.
She was uncertain if there was an official nondiscrimination policy for employees that included protection based on sexual orientation, but she said that an employee would not be fired because he is gay.
Awesome how they have no problem Spreading gossip on other websites. Stuff that sounds like it could cost the fellow his job.
I am glad to be part of a party that stands up for everyone.
I had never heard this story before, and in truth I don't really care, although I do find it upsetting when LBGT people fight agianst LGBT rights.
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