Florida activists skeptical of Crist's pro-LGBT "evolution"

Call it an abrupt about face!

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is campaigning against Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek for the U.S. Senate, but the Republican-turned-Independent really turned heads earlier this month when he released a comprehensive paper that addressed a number of LGBT-specific issues.

While Crist fell short of endorsing marriage for same-sex couples-advocating for civil unions-he said he supports the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the passage of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act and "[taking] politics out of adoption decisions," including Florida's own
ban on same-sex adoption. Activists appreciate the pro-LGBT overtures, but many described them as "too little, too late," considering Crist's voting record.

Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, pointed out the governor's support of Amendment 2 in 2008, his previous support of DADT and his refusal to oppose workplace and housing discrimination against LGBT Floridians as three examples.

"Where have you been for the last 20 years on our issues?" asked Hoch of Crist, who voters first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1992. "Why issue this paper all of a sudden weeks before the election? I applaud his conversion on these issues, but I doubt his sincerity."

In response to criticism, Crist said in an interview last week he's "become less judgmental" with age and has considered reviewing and even dropping his defense of the state's gay adoption ban.

Many activists suspect Crist issued the paper in order to hopefully chip away at moderate Meek supporters as a means of vaulting over Rubio, a staunch conservative with strong ties to the burgeoning Tea Party movement. The most recent Rasmussen Report, published last week, showed Rubio with an 11-percentage point edge over Crist, while only 23 percent of likely Florida voters said they support Meek. A Reuters poll also released last week reported an even wider lead for Rubio - 40 percent to Crist's 26 percent.

C.J. Ortu�o, executive director of SAVE Dade, was one of several LGBT organizations across the state with which the Crist campaign consulted in creating the paper. Ortu�o said he appreciated Crist's openness to learn more about the issues facing LGBT people while considering pro-LGBT positions that he may not have previously supported. He told EDGE, however, the governor's overture has not in any way deterred SAVE Dade from endorsing Meek.

"If we have a new unlikely ally, then we as a community need to accept that, but that doesn't sway our decision about who we're supporting," said Ortu�o. "Meek is a lawmaker who's been with us for a long time and will always be with us. He's earned our support."

While admitting Crist's pro-LGBT positions may force LGBT Floridians to make a difficult decision at the polls on Election Day, Ortu�o sees Meek's candidacy as a true opportunity for the state to move forward with a seat previously marked by what he described as "darkness and gloom" for progressives.

"This is a real opportunity to get someone into office who will be able to tip the balance on equality, working toward making this country fair," he added.

Michael Kenny, executive director of Florida Together, also hoped LGBT Floridians would support Meek's U.S. Senate bid, while recognizing the importance of Crist's words-his paper marks the largest effort a sitting Florida governor has ever publicly taken in support of LGBT-specific issues.

"There is no such thing as a coincidence and I believe that's true in Crist's timing with the release of this paper," Kenny told EDGE. "But he's waited until the eleventh hour on these policies. While it's important that we applaud elected officials when they show the willingness and open-mindedness to modify their positions, he's more than a lame duck right now."

Abe Dyk, Meek's campaign manager, also criticized the governor in a statement released last week. He pointed to a 2006 Crist campaign mailer that criticized former gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis' support for same-sex adoption.

"Can anyone believe anything Charlie Crist says anymore?" read the statement. "The only thing we know about Charlie Crist's track record is that he is a lifelong conservative Republican who has fought against every Democratic value. The governor's charade trying to hide his lifelong conservative record just to get elected is an insult to every Floridian."