Cincinnati homobigots give up on petition drive

Ohio bible beater Phil Burress, who seems to have has his hands in all things anti-gay/anti-sex in Ohio (including porn-free CleanHotels.com), is also chair of Equal Rights Not Special Rights, a flock of sheeple trying to gather enough sigs to force a vote on whether the Cincinnati's Human Rights Ordinance should include protections for gays and lesbians.

The effort has been a bust and the group withdrew its petitions, asking that its measure not be placed on the ballot this year - or in the future, after being caught submitting forged signatures. Strike one for sanity in Ohio!

Phil Burress, chairman of Equal Rights Not Special Rights, said he made the decision Tuesday after it became obvious that many signatures on the petitions were forgeries. His group had collected just two signatures more than the minimum 7,654 needed to force the referendum. A hearing was scheduled at the Board of Elections on Thursday, where more than 1,300 of those signatures were to be challenged as forgeries, or as being improperly altered by paid signature gatherers.

The list of signatures to be challenged included Cuban President Fidel Castro, Reds owner Bob Castellini, former Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus and Enquirer reporter Greg Korte. Bedinghaus and Korte denied signing the petitions.

"Our own investigation revealed one person forged some names," Burress said. "It was quite obvious. So we immediately said, that's not right. It's a shame it went on this long, but we're sorry the people aren't going to be permitted to vote in this issue."

...Jennifer Branch says that's hogwash. Branch, an attorney for Citizens to Restore Fairness, said the fraud was systematic. "There were 1,300 reasons why those petitions were not going to be good enough," Branch said.

Branch sent out letters sent to people who allegedly signed Equal Rights Not Special Rights petition, and about 500 were returned because they were "not deliverable as addressed."

What about that family value of honesty the fundies are always bleating about?

Hat tip, Holly.