Won passage of sexual orientation protections in Miami-Dade County 's Human Rights Ordinance in 1998 and successfully defended these protections from a bid to overturn them.

Helped pass domestic partner benefits for Miami Beach city employees and a domestic partner registry for that is open to anyone regardless of residence.

Endorsed and supported mayoral, judicial, commission and other political candidates supportive of SAVE Dade's goals.

Collaborated with Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to publish and distribute a guide on domestic partner benefits.

 

SAVE Dade History And Missions Accomplished

Timeline of Events

2006 July 1
  Equal Benefits Ordinance takes effect
   
2005 As a result of SAVE's lobbying, the City of Miami Beach passes an Equal Benefits Ordinance with great assistance from National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Florida. The ordinance takes effect July 1, 2006.
   
  SAVE partners with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to distribute "A Guide to Domestic Partner Insurance Coverage" brochure to its 5,500 members.
   
2004 As a result of SAVE's lobbying, City of Miami Beach passes protection for transgender residents.
   
  As a result of SAVE"s lobbying, the City of Miami Beach passes a domestic partner registry without a residency requirement.
   
2003 January
  Lambda Legal invites SAVE Dade to participate in its Amicus Brief to overturn Lawrence and Garner v. Texas.
   
2002 September 10
  53% of Miami-Dade County voters say no to discrimination. Thank you!
   
  January 29
  Miami-Dade County Commission places the referendum to repeal the amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance on the September 10 Ballot.
   
2001 December 18
  Miami-Dade Election Department certifies petition signatures.
   
  November
  SAVE helps pass an ordinance to provide domestic partner benefits for the City of Miami Beach employees through its Miami Beach Workplace Political Action Committee (PAC).
   
  April 20
  Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Steve Levine denies Take-Back Miami's motion to dismiss SAVE Dade from the February 25 lawsuit. An attempt by Take-Back to prevent SAVE Dade from presenting to the courts the many irregularities we found in the petition. Judge Levine told the Herald (4/21/01) that SAVE Dade's pressence in the lawsuit "crystalizes the real issues".
   
  February 26
  Miami-Dade County Department of Elections files suit against SAVE Dade and Take Back Miami-Dade to force a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge to determine the next course of action concerning verifying petitions turned in by Take Back Miami-Dade."
   
  January
  Take Back Miami-Dade demands the Elections Department certify the petition without further review of the petition forms.
   
  SAVE Dade volunteers complete review of all 51,000 petition signatures and uncover massive irregularities involving thousands of duplicated signatures, and notary and circulator changes.
   
  The Miami-Dade County State Attorney's office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement open criminal investigations.
   
2000 December 1
  Deadline for the Christian Coalition and Take Back Miami-Dade to turn in signatures of 4% of the registered voters to the Clerk of the Board's Office. Take Back Miami-Dade files 51,000 signatures to place the Human Rights Ordinance repeal on the Ballot. SAVE Dade begins a manual review of the petitions. After the petitions fail a random sampling, the Miami-Dade Elections Department decides all petition signatures need to be verified one at a time.
   
  October 3
  Take Back Miami-Dade receives approval a second time from the County Commission for a petition drive to overturn the Amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, public accomodations and finance.
   
  April 7
  Christian Coalition failed to gather enough petition signatures to place the repeal on the ballot.
   
  February 8
 

Take Back Miami-Dade receives approval from the Miami-Dade County Commission to start collecting signatures in order to have the amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance repealed through a public vote.

Christian Coalition teams up with Tampa's Florida Family Association to form the "Take Back Miami-Dade Political Committee" intended to repeal the Miami-Dade Human Rights Ordinance.
SAVE Dade members identified 20,000+ supporters of the Human Right.

   
1999 Ordinance by canvassing neighborhoods and election precincts.
Announcement of the Christian Coalition's active efforts to repeal the ordinance by referendum.
   
1998 December 1
  Miami-Dade County Commissioners pass amendment to HRO prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation!
   
  November 5
  Human Rights Ordinance passes first reading.
   
1997 SAVE-DADE coalition created to push for equal rights for gays and lesbians
Dade County commissioners reject proposed ordinance Dade County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan introduces Human Rights Ordinance barring discrimination based on sexual orientation.
   
1993 Supreme Court invalidates proposed constitutional amendment SAVE is created to counteract AFA efforts in Dade County American Family Association gathers signatures for a State Constitutional amendment prohibiting local ordinances granting equal rights on the basis of sexual orientation .
   
1992 City of Miami Beach Commission adopts ordinance barring
discrimination based on sexual orientation
   
1989 DadeAction PAC, a gay political action committee is created.
   
1977 June 7
  Dade County residents repeal equal rights ordinance
Anita Bryant and Save our Children spearhead petition drive to repeal equalrights ordinance
   
  January 18
  Dade County Commission adopts equalrights ordinance.
   
  Dade County Commissioner Ruth Shack introduces ordinance barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
 
Laws Passed
 

List of Ordinances that have been passed since 1998 through the lobbying efforts of SAVE Dade

Equal Benefits Ordinance

Effective Date: April 2006

This Ordinance requires contractors doing business with the City of Miami Beach, who are awarded a contract pursuant to competitive bid to provide "Equal Benefits" to their employees with Domestic Partners, as they provide employees with spouses.

The type of "Benefits" defined by the ordinance include sick leave, bereavement leave, family medical leave, and health benefits.

Click here to read the text of the Ordinance 

SAVE would like to thank Karen Doering of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Stratton Pollitizer of Equality Florida for their support in passing this law. 

Domestic Partner Registry (Miami Beach) 

Effective Date: August 9, 2004 

click here to read the text of the Ordinance 

click here to get the forms 

On July of 2004, the City Commission adopted legislation that affords certain rights and benefits to qualified committed relationships that have registered with the City of Miami Beach. Partners need not be Miami Beach residents. Registration is available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Miami Beach City Hall, city Clerk's office, first floor. Notarized form can be mailed to the City Clerk's office. 

As of June 26, 2006 189 couples have registered. Available to both same-sex and opposite sex couples. 

Transgender Protection (Miami Beach) 

Effective Date: July 2004 

On July of 2004, the City Commission included the transgender community as part of the City's Human Rights Ordinance. The transgender community is protected from discrimination in the aras of employment, housing, finance, and public accommodations. 

Domestic Partner Benefits for City of Miami Beach Employees 

Effective Date October 2001 

This ordinance provides the domestic partners of City employees with health insurance benefits, sick leave, bereavement leave and family medical leave. 

Human Rights Ordinance 

Effective date: December 1998

 http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10620&sid=9

This amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance bans discrimination based on the basis of sexual orientation in the categories of employment, housing, finance and public accommodations.

The Equal Opportunity Board is the entity charged with enforcing the County's
Human Rights Ordinance. If you would like to file a grievance and want to
know whether your situation is covered by the HRO, please call the EOB at
(305) 514-6193.