ANTI-GAY INITIATIVE FAILS IN YPSILANTI
Gay leaders say four losses in a row should be a wake up call for anti-gay extremists

(Ypsilanti, MI) –An anti-gay ballot measure suffered a colossal defeat in Ypsilanti yesterday when voters rejected it by a two-to-one margin. The effort to remove civil rights protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people was defeated when 65% of voters to retain the city ’s law.

Backed by funding from Ann Arbor pizza magnate Tom Monaghan, the American Family Association, tried a second time to repeal gay rights protections in Ypsilanti. Both times the initiative failed. It was discovered through a lawsuit filed by Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality (YCFE) that Monaghan paid for the petitioners to put the issue on the ballot again. The first defeat came in 1998 after anti-gay activists brought nationally recognized figures, Angie and Debbie Winans, Reggie White, and Alveda King to oppose the civil rights ordinance.

This marks a losing streak for the AFA, Monaghan, and other anti-gay activists who lost a troika of similar measures across Michigan last November. In 2001, there were six anti-gay ballot measures around the country, and three of them were in Michigan. The anti-gay proposals lost in five of those 6 initiatives. All three anti-gay proposals in Michigan were soundly defeated by voters in Traverse City, Kalamazoo and Huntington Woods.

“Voters have once again spoken in favor of fairness and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,” said Sean Kosofsky, Director of Policy for Triangle Foundation, Michigan’s leading civil rights, advocacy and anti-violence organization for GLBT people. “Voters are tired of the divisiveness and bigotry. Anti-gay activists tried to use race, religion, and fear in order to win, but the voters saw it as transparent bigotry and voted accordingly.”

“Despite the anti-gay tactics of appealing to communities of color and communities of faith, we are thrilled that voters lifted up their voices for justice,” said Michael Gibson-Faith, Director of the LGBT Issues Program for the American Friends Service Committee, an independent Quaker peace and justice organization based in Ann Arbor. “It was inspiring to see how many religious and civil rights leaders stood with us to oppose the mean-spirited and deceptive tactics of the AFA.”

“This is a great victory,” said Beth Bashert, Co-Chair of (YCFE). “We worked really hard and many people were there to support us. We just hope that Monaghan and the AFA get the message that Ypsilanti opposes discrimination against GLBT people.”