Mayor-elect Craig Lowe

First Openly Gay Mayor Of Gainesville

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County would like to offer our congratulations to City Commissioner Craig Lowe, who won yesterday's runoff election to become both the first member of our caucus elected Mayor of a city and the first openly-gay Mayor of Gainesville, Florida.

A Combined Effort

We would also like to thank those who joined us in supporting his campaign. Similar to last year's successful campaign to protect Gainesville's non-discrimination ordinances for LGBT people (chaired by Mr. Lowe), his campaign for mayor of Gainesville is another excellent example of local, state, and national organizations successfully uniting for a common goal, including:

Local Organizations

• Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County
• Alachua County Democratic Party
• Gainesville Professional Firefighters
• African American Coalition for Political Action
• Many more diverse local civic groups and caucuses

State Organizations

• Equality Florida
• Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus
• Florida Together

National Organizations

• Human Rights Campaign
• Organizing for America

Responding Passionately
Individuals around the country responded with passion to news about the homophobic smears against Mr. Lowe. It is clear by the close margin of victory (42 votes) that homophobic smears played a part in driving enthusiasm for Mr. Lowe's ultra-conservative opponent, but we are also heartened to see evidence that progressive Gainesville voters were emboldened as well, unwilling to accept such bigotry in our community.

Thank You

Because the results of this election could have been reversed without the support of literally any one person or group, we the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County cannot find adequate words to express our appreciation. We are humbled and indebted to everyone who joined us in this hard-fought election.

This post was revised on Friday, 4/16/2010, once the results were certified and Mr. Lowe's margin of victory increased to 42 votes.

SDAC Endorse Craig Lowe for Mayor of Gainesville, FL

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County endorse Craig Lowe to become the next Mayor of Gainesville, Florida.

Through his work with the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida, with the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County, as Chair of Equality is Gainesville's Business, as Chair of the City of Gainesville's Equal Opportunity Committee, and as a Gainesville City Commissioner, Craig has worked hard to improve the lives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of Gainesville, most recently including advancement of legislation that dramatically increased legal protections for the transgender community.

As a result of his efforts, vicious and homophobic smear tactics have targeted his campaign. We would like to recognize and thank mayoral candidate Monica Cooper who has spoken out against this "fear based appeal" and "strongly opposes the false portrayal of facts and tactical diversion". The Stonewall Democrats urge the citizens of Gainesville to take a stand against this attack on Craig Lowe and ensure the continued protection of LGBT rights in our city by electing Craig Lowe as our mayor.

Help counter the homophobic smear tactics by supporting Commissioner Lowe's campaign however you can. To volunteer and/or make a donation visit his campaign website: http://www.craiglowe.com

Please vote in the Gainesville city election on March 16, 2010 (Early & Absentee voting information: http://votealachua.com).

Greetings From Gainesville Pride 2009!

Hello to everyone who stopped by our booth at Gainesville Pride today!

If you didn't give us your contact info, drop us a line: stonewalldemsac@gmail.com

Come join us at our next meeting, October 22 at 6pm!

~Robert Prather
President, Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County

Get Out the Vote Party!

Come to the Stonewall Democrat’s annual social and support the fight to defeat Charter Amendment 1

Thursday, March 19th, 5:30pm
Alachua County Democratic Party Headquaters

**Light refreshments will be served**

For more information, contact stonewalldemsac@gmail.com
or call Claudia Wald at (352) 235-4088

Note: this social is being held in lieu of the regularly scheduled Thursday meeting.

February meeting

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will be meeting on Thursday, February 12th, at 5:45 pm at the Alachua County Democratic Party headquarters, 901 NW 8th Ave, Suite A-3. We will be holding elections at this meeting and hearing updates on the Charter Amendment.

Please join us for the next meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County on Thursday, January 8th, at 5:45 pm at the Alachua County Democratic Party headquarters, 901 NW 8th Ave, Suite A-3. At the meeting we'll hear updates on the Gainesville charter amendment and plan for our pre-election social in March, and go over plans for the coming year.

The next meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will be this Thursday, December 11, at 5:45 pm at the Alachua County Democratic Party headquarters, 901 NW 8th Ave, Suite A-3.

At the meeting we'll hear updates on the Gainesville charter amendment and plan for our pre-election social in March, as well as discuss goals for the coming year.

We look forward to seeing you Thursday.

We hope you'll be able to join us to hear post-election updates and go over the latest issues regarding the Gainesville charter amendment. The next general membership meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County has been rescheduled. We will be meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at 5:45 pm at the Alachua County Democratic Party headquarters, 901 NW 8th Ave, Suite A-3. We will not be meeting at our regular time on Thursday, November 13. A brief board meeting will immediately follow.

Stonewall Dems of Alachua County endorses...

Fellow Democrats,

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County endorses the following candidates and urges you to vote for these GLBT-friendly candidates and tell your family and friends to do the same (embedded links will send you to websites with more information about candidates and issues):

President and Vice-President - Barack Obama and Joe Biden
U.S. Congress, District 6 - Tim Cunha
Florida State Representative, District 11 - Debbie Boyd
Florida State Representative, District 23 - Charles "Chuck" Chestnut
Alachua County Commissioner, District 1 - Mike Byerly
Alachua County Commissioner, District 3 - Paula Delaney
Alachua County Commissioner, District 5 - Rodney Long
Alachua County Soil and Water Conservation District, Group 4 - Rob Brinkman

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County also asks you to Vote No on Constitutional Amendment 2, the "Florida Marriage Protection Amendment."

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County also asks you to Vote Yes for County Referenda "Additional One Mill Ad Valorem Tax for School District Operating Expenses" and "Wild Spaces & Public Spaces, Environmental Lands, Parks and Recreation One-Half Percent Sales Tax."

You are required to present picture and signature identification before voting. You can call the Supervisor of Elections at (352) 374-5252 to find out if you can still request a ballot to vote by mail/absentee. You can vote early at the following locations on the following day and times:

Weekdays

Monday, October 20th through Friday, October 24th - (9 AM to 5 PM)

Monday, October 27th through Friday, October 31st - (9 AM to 5 PM)

Saturdays

October 25th - (9 AM to 1 PM)

November 1st - (9 AM to 5 PM) Early Voting Ends

Sundays

October 26th - (1 PM to 5 PM)

Early Voting Sites

Supervisor of Elections Office
County Administration Building Location
12 SE 1st Street, Gainesville

Millhopper Branch Library
3145 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville

Tower Road Branch Library
3020 SW 75th Street, Gainesville

*******
Pd. Pol. Adv. by SDAC, PO Box 223, Gainesville, FL 32602

October Meeting

The next meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will be held Thursday, October 9, at 5:45pm at the Alachua County Democratic Party headquarters, 901 NW 8^th Ave, Suite A-3.

At the meeting we’ll plan tabling for the Gainesville Pride Fest on October 18 and hear updates on the campaigns of local candidates, the “Vote No On 2” campaign, and the Gainesville charter amendment.

Meeting & Conference Updates

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, July 10 at 5:45 pm at the DEC office on 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3. Just one week before our conference!

Remember to register for the Florida GLBT Democratic Summer Conference online with either a credit card or a Paypal account by clicking here!

You can reserve your room at the UF Hilton for the $129 per-room/per-night group rate by clickin g here!

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, June 12 at 5:45 pm at the DEC office on 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3.

You can now register for the Florida GLBT Democratic Summer Conference online with either a credit card or a Paypal account by clicking here!

Meeting & Conference Reminder

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 8 at 5:45 pm at the DEC office at 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3.

You can download the registration form for the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus meeting that we will be hosting in Gainesville on July 19 at this link.

The conference promises to be an exciting one as we begin to confirm speakers and iron out details. We expect to have a panel on gender identity ordinances as well as hear from speakers such as Nadine Smith from Equality Florida, Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, and the Director of the ACLU of Florida LGBT Advocacy Project, Robert Rosenwald, among others.

Remember, conference registration also includes a social at Wild Iris Books on Friday night and a Saturday night reception at the Pride Community Center.

You can request to be added to our e-mail listserv (2-3 emails a month) by emailing StonewallDemsAC at gmail.com Use the "@" symbol instead of "at."

Meeting Reminder

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, April 10 at 5:45 pm at the ACDEC office - 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3. We will continue discussing our hosting of the state caucus's summer meeting on July 19, Floridian GLBT delegates to the DNC Convention in Denver, updates on HB 191 (which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the state of Florida), and other local news items of interest to the gay community.

Also, check out this recent article from "The Miami Herald" about the clout of gay Democrats in South Florida. Much of their reporting was done at the state caucus' winter meeting in Palm Beach. There is even a reference to "Democrat-heavy Gainesville"!
Join us and get involved in the Democratic process!

You can now reserve your hotel room at the special group rate for the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Summer Meeting at the Hilton UF Conference Center by clicking here!

Meeting & Conference Reminder

Stonewall Democrats ally Lauren Poe won his runoff election against Republican Bonnie Mott by a 186-vote margin. Congratulations to Lauren and the two other candidates whom we endorsed in their successful runs for Gainesville City Commission!

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 13 at 5:45 pm at the DEC Office.

You can now reserve your hotel room at the special group rate for the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Summer Meeting at the Hilton UF Conference Center by clicking here!

Runoff Election Reminder

The runoff election for Gainesville City Commission, District 2, will be this Tuesday, February 19. Our endorsed candidate, Democrat Lauren Poe, will be facing off against Republican Bonnie Mott. Because this is the only election on that day it is expected that voter turnout will be low. So please be sure to get out and vote for Poe if you live in District 2. If you don't live in that district, please take the time to contact your friends in District 2 and ask them to vote.

The following link features a map of Gainesville that shows what District 2's borders are: http://elections.alachua.fl.us/voter%2Dregistration/Districts/gainesville.html

Also, you can vote early at the County Administration Building Location at 12 SE 1st Street - today until 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 13 at 5:45 pm.

February Meeting Reminder

Our next meeting will be this Thursday, February 14, at 5:45 pm at the ACDEC headquarters, 901 NW 8^th Ave, Suite A-3.

We will be discussing details on our hosting the conference of the state GLBT caucus in July, Gainesville city commission election results, the District 2 runoff election, and passage of the gender identity ordinance.

Election Reminder: Democrat Lauren Poe is running in the runoff election for Gainesville City Commission District 2 on Tuesday, February 19. You can vote early at the downtown supervisor of election's office. Every vote counts in these runoffs!

Vote Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29 is election day. The polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. You can locate your polling precinct on the Supervisor of Elections website. Voters must present current and valid photo and signature ID at the polls or they must vote a provisional ballot.

The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County is proud to endorse the following GLBT-friendly Democratic candidates for Gainesville City Commission:
Jack Donovan (District 3), Lauren Poe (District 2), and Thomas Hawkins, Jr. (At-Large, Seat 2). The non-partisan, gay rights-oriented Human Rights Council of North Central Florida has also endorsed these three candidates.
Also, the Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee is advising voters to vote "No" on Property Tax Amendment No. 1.

Parties: Once election results come in at the Supervisor of Elections office there will be various victory parties around downtown. In case you want to join, Donovan's, Poe's, and Hawkins's campaigns will be celebrating at The Top.

Finally, our next meeting will be on Thursday, February 14, at 5:45 pm at the ACDEC office: 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3.

January Meeting & Upcoming Elections

The next meeting of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will be this Thursday, January 10, 5:45 pm, at 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3. We will be discussing our December meeting with State Rep. Chuck Chestnut, the upcoming city commission and presidential preference elections, the Gainesville city commission's upcoming vote on "gender identity and expression," and continue planning for our hosting of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Meeting in July.

News: Tuesday, January 29 is election day. All registered Democrats will be able to vote for their preferred presidential candidate. All registered voters in Gainesville will be able to vote for city commission candidates. All registered Florida voters will be able to vote on the property tax amendment.

There is one registered Democrat running for election in each of the Gainesville City Commission races: Lauren Poe (District 2), Thomas Hawkins Jr. (At-Large, Seat 2), and Jack Donovan (District 3). All three candidates attended our Stonewall Democrats Social in December to meet our members and show their support for our organization.
Early voting will be held January 14-18 and January 21-25 from 9 am to 5 pm at the following locations:
*The Supervisor of Elections County Administration Building location at 12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville
*Millhopper Branch Library at 3145 N.W. 43rd Street, Gainesville
*Tower Road Branch Library at 3020 S.W. 75th Street, Gainesville

You can request to Vote By Mail (absentee) by going to this website: http://elections.alachua.fl.us/absentee_personal_request_form.html

Stonewall Meet-and-Greet A Success & Rep. Chestnut Co-Sponsors HB 191

Guests at the Stonewall Democrats Holiday Meet-and-Greet
check out materials about the caucus and local city candidates.

Gainesville City Commission candidates Lauren Poe, Thomas Hawkins, and Jack Donovan attended the social to meet the caucus' members and to talk about their campaigns and their support for gay rights.

After the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County met with State Representative Charles "Chuck" Chestnut to discuss HB 191, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and employment in Florida, Rep. Chestnut became the bill's 22nd co-sponsor this week. Thank him for his leadership on this issue by e-mailing him at charles.chestnut at myfloridahouse.gov.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, January 10 at 5:45 pm at the Democratic Party Center, 901 NW 8 Ave., Suite A-3. We will be discussing the status of HB 191, the upcoming elections on January 29, and ways to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) with queer Democrats.