By: Sharon Aron Baron
In February, I asked Tamarac Mayor Talabisco to sign the “Mayors for the Freedom to Marry” campaign, a bipartisan coalition of Mayors who pledge to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
Broward County Mayors signing the pledge included: Former Mayor Marilyn Gerber of Coconut Creek, Former Mayor Debbie Eisinger of Cooper City, Judy Paul of Davie, Joy Cooper of Hallandale, Peter Bober of Hollywood, Former Mayor of Pam Donovan of Margate, Lorie Moseley of Miramar, Frank Ortis of Pembroke Pines, Former Mayor Anne Sallee of Oakland Park, Michael Udine of Parkland, Ashira Mohammed of Pembroke Park, Mike Ryan of Sunrise and Gary Resnick of Wilton Manors.
Recently, Broward County Mayor Kristin Jacobs signed the pledge as well.
A month later, when it hadn’t appeared on a city commission agenda for discussion, I asked the Mayor and commissioners about it. While I found they had positive support for the gay and lesbian community, Vice Mayor Harry Dressler believed that gay marriage was a “partisan” issue and felt it would be wrong to sign on to something that may alienate 50 percent of the city.
I have to disagree. Gay and lesbian citizens of Tamarac and elsewhere have the same protected legal rights that legally married couples like myself take for granted. While controversial for some, clearly, it’s not a partisan issue.
I see it as an equality issue.
Something that our Mayor and Commissioners will no doubt in twenty years, look back on and wonder why this was ever brought up in the first place.
For more information, please visit Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.