Rand Hoch • 8 days ago
PBCHRC's Voters Alliance has been interviewing candidates and making endorsements since 1988. As a result of our efforts and our relationships with public officials, Palm Beach County has more than 80 ordinances and policies which benefit the LGBT community. (That is probably more than the other 66 counties in Florida combined). And we have done it with an annual budget of $25,000 - $50,000. In contrast, EQFL just sends out questionnaires which anyone can figure out how to answer. So, as long as a candidates sends in his or her boxtops, EQFL issues a recommendation. Until PBCHRC pointed it out to EQFL, EQFL had recommended an openly gay candidate seeking to serve on the Lake Worth City Commission. When we interviewed him, he told us that Lake Worth was not an LGBT friendly place to live and he was going to change it. We were shocked. Lake Worth currently has an openly gay City Commissioner. A few years ago, the City had an openly lesbian City Commissioner and a transexual City Manager. The City has had an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance for years, has a domestic partnership registry and offers city employees domestic partnership benefits. Each year the City hosts a two day festival, PrideFest (including a parade down the City's main street), Moreover, the City leases (at only a token amount) the space for COMPASS, Palm Beach County's amazing LGBT Community Center. Also, there are numerous LGBT-owned businesses in the City and you can't walk very far on the city's main drag without seeing a rainbow flag. And this EQFL recommended candidate didn't think Lake Worth was LGBT-friendly! Really? But since he filled out his EQFL questionnaire correctly, EQFL recommended him. His opponent, BTW, had a 100% voting record on our issues, including votes on the domestic partnership registry.
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In an email letter from the President of the PBCHRC, he is now claiming a victory.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhHyCn84ZIQ/WezjlEL-0tI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/CzkhriK6zpEJJ3d9Je1495d49gIhnMlxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
