BY CHARLES RABIN
[email protected]

A group of conservative Christians took advantage of a high presidential election turnout to gather 51,026 signatures -- ammunition the group hopes will force a referendum to overturn Miami-Dade County's 1998 ordinance banning discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Minutes before 4 p.m. Friday, Take Back Miami's Ron Bagwell, flanked by several allies, pushed a cart carrying six boxes filled with signatures through a throng of opponents gathered in front of the office of the county clerk.

Friday's deadline fell 60 days after the county had approved the language of the petition.

To force a countywide referendum, the Christian group needs about 35,000 certified signatures, or 4 percent of the county's voters.

The earliest the election can be held is in 2002, during the next countywide election. And the certification of the signatures is unlikely to happen immediately because elections supervisors are in Tallahassee, involved with the presidential ballot controversy.

REPEAL UNLIKELY

Miami-Dade commissioners have the option of repealing the ordinance themselves, but even opponents concede that is unlikely.

``They went that way before, and they lost it,'' said Commissioner Javier Souto, on the losing end of that December 1998 vote. ``Another loss would be too hard.''

The County Commission decided 7-6 to approve the ordinance, which outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation, after an emotionally charged public hearing.

Before the commission takes up the issue this time, the signatures must be counted and certified.

Said Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler: ``They still have to validate those signatures. They can't count on my support to repeal it. I believe what we did the last time was right.''

In February, Take Back Miami -- a group made up of more than 250 community organizations and church groups that includes the Christian Coalition -- tried to gather enough signatures against the ordinance but failed.

However, emboldened by the recent controversy over funding for the Boy Scouts of America and eyeing a tide of voters heading to the polls in November, the group tried again.

`VERY DIVISIVE'

``This amendment is necessary,'' said Take Back Miami communications director Eladio Jose Armesto, because the ordinance is ``a cruel hoax on homosexuals. It's very divisive in the community. It's being used to harm children, to not fund the Boy Scouts, and attack their programs.''

Members of SAVE Dade, who support the ordinance, gathered on the 17th floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center. In silent protest, they watched the delivery of the signatures, many of them filming it with still pictures and videos.

``SAVE Dade would like to have a record of what's happening today,'' said member Julia Dawson. ``Plus, we'd like to know who our foes are.''

SAVE Dade Chairman Jorge Mursuli said it's a sad day anytime a group tries to eliminate the rights of minorities. He said his group will be able to see copies of the petition through the Freedom of Information Act and intends on making phone calls to ensure voters understood what they were reading.

MAKING A CHOICE

Mursuli said he was at the polls Nov. 7 and was disgusted by the Christian group's misinformation.

``The things they were saying during the presidential election were offensive, inflammatory and deceptive,'' Mursuli said.

``I'm confident most people didn't understand what they signed. The bottom line is this is our home. We live here and we work here.

``This is now an opportunity to show not only Miami-Dade, but the world, that Miami-Dade doesn't discriminate.''

Friday, the petitions were locked away in a vaultlike room on the 19th floor that says ``Keep Out.'' The same room usually holds the county's absentee ballots.

The petitions will remain there until the Election Department's special projects administrator Ivy Korman returns. She accompanied the presidential ballots to Tallahassee.