by Gary Resnick, Mayor of Wilton Manors
In this election, both candidates have talked a lot about defending and supporting our children and families. But only one candidate, Hillary Clinton, recognizes that a family is not always just a man and a woman, and understands that there are families of all backgrounds.
Representing the values that our generation and our community care about the most, Hillary Clinton knows that we are stronger together when we lift each other up so that everyone plays a role in creating America’s future. She has spent her life fighting for children and families of all backgrounds, and getting things done that are good for the community. Hillary believes that LGBT parents deserve equal protections under the law, and when she was a U.S. Senator, she successfully advocated for an end to restrictions in New York blocking LGBT Americans from adopting children.
In Florida, we know these struggles firsthand. Florida was the last state to legalize adoption by gay and lesbian couples, overturning legislation against gay adoption in 2010 and then codifying it into law in 2015. As the Mayor of one the most LGBT celebrated communities in the nation, proudly named “the second gayest city in America,” I know that these are rights and freedoms earned through decades of struggle, and that we must fight to protect them.
In this election, there has not been a clearer choice for voters who believe in equality for all, regardless of their sexual orientation. The Republican candidate for Vice President, Mike Pence, previously described LGBT as a “lifestyle choice,” and consistently opposed marriage equality and other legal protections for the LGBT community and families. These are the types of people that Donald Trump has selected.
Donald Trump wants to “make America great” by turning back the clock to a time when the LGBT community was deprived of rights and freedoms, including the right to openly raise a family with the equal protection of the law. The US Supreme Court narrowly determined that marriage equality is a Constitutional right. With an opening pending and more to come on the Supreme Court, the President’s selection of Supreme Court Justices is incredibly important to our community. As we recognize the 5th year anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” let’s send a clear message that we are not going back in the closet and we are not going to be treated as 2nd class citizens.
This election, we need to make sure our voices are heard, and that we support Hillary Clinton, the only candidate committed to defending and expanding our rights. Three simple things you can do: 1) make sure that you are registered in Florida, 2) make sure your friends are registered in Florida; 3) VOTE!!! — make sure you and your friends vote – you can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail or early vote. Once Early Voting starts, Wilton Manors City Hall will be an early voting site for anyone who lives in Broward County, or vote on Election Day, November 8. You don’t have to wait until November 8 to exercise your Constitutional right to vote.