JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As the day was coming to a close, a crowd formed in front of Memorial Park's bronze "Life" sculpture hoping to create change.
In between the dance moves were messages.
"In my experience, we've never changed anything in America until people go to the streets and make noise," said Jacksonville resident Lance Stoll.
Carrying a sign that read "liberty and justice for all," Stoll stood Monday night as a supporter at the Riverside rally for human rights. The rally, put together by the Jacksonville Committee for Equality, was in support of the passage of city ordinance 2012-296, a human rights ordinance that would include "sexual orientation" as a protected class in Jacksonville. The original version of the bill was modified to no longer include "gender identity or expression."
Among the supporters at the rally, were former mayoral candidate Audrey Moran and former Mayor John Delaney.
"It's about making Jacksonville the very best city it can be, passing this ordinance will put us on the road to do that," Moran said to the crowd.
Delaney believes it comes down to business.
"We need to make this statement as a community. We're trying to recruit other businesses here, and if we reject this, it's going to be darn hard to recruit jobs in the future," he said.
Calling on council members to vote yes, those in the crowd cheered optimistically.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. This is about justice," said Stoll.
City Council is expected to vote on 2012-296 at their meeting on Wednesday.
