After the City of Orlando past a domestic-partner (DP) registry last year, gay rights advocates in Central Florida were hopeful that Orange County would follow suit. But now, activists say that Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs is wavering in her support of the ordinance which would allow for visitation and other medical care rights as well as end-of-life rights and protections for unmarried couples, gay and straight.
“We are in the process of doing legal review and analysis, and when we’ve completed that I will come to the board, if I’m able to, with a legally sound proposal,” Jacobs offered. “And regardless of what I come with, board members have an opportunity and freedom under my administration to offer counter proposals.”
Activists met last month with Jacobs, raising concerns at that time about her commitment to enacting a county-wide registry. In a follow up to that meeting, they wrote to the mayor, “You stated that you cannot support a Domestic Partnership Registry.”
In an email to Jacobs sent last week, attorney and gay rights proponent Mary Meeks confirmed their worst fears. “Now it is crystal clear that we were right to be worried, and the DP registry is in peril, and apparently has been in peril for quite some time,” Meeks wrote.
“We are further concerned that a political consultant with questionable intentions and a documented history
of anti-gay activism appears to be guiding you in this matter,” wrote Michael Slaymaker, the founder of the Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee, in an email concerning John Dowless, who consults for Jacobs’ campaign and is the former executive director of the Florida Christian Coalition.
Jacobs said that Dowless’ role is not as all-sweeping as activists fear. “He’s not advising me on gay-rights issues, and he’s not advising me on this issue right now,”the mayor said.
Photo: Orange County Mayor Mayor Teresa Jacobs says she supports equal treatment under the law but her efforts toward Domestic Partner Registration may be slow to move forward if at all.