City of Tampa May Soon Have Domestic Gay Rights

The Tampa City Council voted to have its legal department formulate a domestic partner registry ordinance. This doesn't mean domestic partnership marriages. What does mean is legal language will be crafted. Creative Loafing's Mitch Perry cites the Orlando domestic ordinance. The fact is the City of Tampa ordinance has not been written yet.

In Perry's defense, Council member Yolie Capin cited was inspired by the Orlando domestic ordinance.

The proposal was brought forth by Council member Yolie Capin, who told CL after the meeting that she had been thinking of bringing the issue up for awhile, but was inspired to do so after the city of Orlando passed an ordinance in December and enacted it last month.

The Tampa City Council still has to vote for the final ordinance.

Nadine Smith with Equality Florida says the city of Tampa is doing the right thing. "Domestic partnership policies provide a handful of vital protections that are critical for couples at the most vulnerable times in their life, " she wrote CL in an email. "In taking this step, Tampa will join communities across the state who recognize that people need the legal rights necessary to take care of their loved ones."