Throughout most of 2012, conservative groups typically opposed to anything granting rights to LGBT people were noticeably silent while West Florida cities passed domestic partnership ordinances allowing unmarried couples to receive a handful of benefits. But that is set to change this week as the Hillsborough County Commission takes up the popular measure.
When Commissioner Mark Sharpe, a Republican, added the item to the Jan. 24 agenda, conservative groups took notice. The Florida Family Association and the Community Issues Council both seem primed to fight the measure vocally.
Neither organization has yet to respond to interview requests from Watermark, but Terry Kemple, founder of Community Issues Council and a vocal opponent to LGBT rights in Tampa Bay, told the Tampa Bay Times the silence from the right is about to end.
“The reason we didn’t do more at the city of Tampa is because there was no likelihood of winning that battle,” he told the newspaper.
In fact, when Tampa enacted its domestic partnership ordinance in 2012, there was no visible show of opposition in the chambers and city council members passed it enthusiastically. That sparked a flood of similar registries in Tampa Bay, with St. Petersburg, Gulfport and Clearwater all following suit. During a Jan. 15 meeting, all but one Pinellas County Commissioner approved a countywide domestic partnership registry, which will take effect within three months.
Hillsborough’s debate over a domestic partnership ordinance could be a bit more dramatic. This is, after all, the county that “banned gay pride” in 2005, thanks to former commissioner Ronda Storms. Sharpe, who is scheduled to introduce the new registry this week, voted in favor of that ban.
“I really do believe we’re at a point as adults where we can respect each other and we’re at a point where we can value everyone,” Sharpe said. “It just seems like the right thing to do at the right time.”
For the more conservative, right-leaning commissioners, the need for the ordinance seems to hinge on older, unmarried, straight couples who don’t want to marry for fear of losing the benefits associated with their previous marriages. If those couples – or same-sex couples, for that matter – are able to register as partners, then they could make medical decisions for an incapacitated, make funeral arrangements for a late partner or even participate in the educational decisions of a partner’s child.
Those few benefits, according to David Caton, president of the Florida Family Association, are a step toward recognizing same-sex relationships and he hopes residents will oppose such a registry.
“The ordinance is a validation, albeit a small one, of a lifestyle association,” he said.
The Hillsborough County Commission will meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, in the council chambers within the County Administration Building in downtown Tampa.
