03.18.08
In Fla., More Gays May Mean More GLBT Political Power
GLBT voters in Fla. are not only growing in visibility, but their influence is Increasingly being felt in state and local politics.
An article in the Mar. 17 Miami Herald reported that this Nov., it may be the case that recently elected municipal and county officials who are openly gay may be joined by a greater number of gay local officials and maybe even an openly gay counterpart in the state legislature: a first for the state, should it happen.
But straight politicians have also taken note, and begun pursuing the GLBT vote, the Miami Herald reported.
As the Miami Herald article points out, however, the Fla. GLBT community still faces considerable anti-gay sentiment in the state. In Nov., a ballot question is scheduled to appear before voters that may determine whether Fla. joins a long list of other states to constitutionally exclude gay and lesbian families from marriage equality.
In other words, the state’s government may possibly be on the verge of including its first openly gay legislator, but the work of equality and acceptance is far from over.
But in just five years, a larger share of the Fla. citizenry has become openly GLBT, enough so that politicians see the demographic as less a liability than a voting bloc.
The Miami Herald cited the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute’s tally, which shows that the state of Fla. now includes 23 elected officials who are openly gay. A number of gay hopefuls are in contests for this year’s elections for seats ranging from County Commissions to the State House.