LGBTQ EQUALITY

OPPOSE HB 305/SB 1126: The Preemption of Employment Conditions bill threatens to roll back local employment nondiscrimination protections that currently cover nearly 13 million Floridians, which ensure Floridians won’t face employment discrimination for who they are or who they love. Everyone should be able to earn a living and provide for their families. Sponsors are Rep. Bob Rommel and Sen. Joe Gruters. 

SUPPORT HB 161/SB 206: The Florida Competitive Workforce Act is a top priority. It would clearly prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ Floridians and ensure that Florida is a safe place to live, work, and visit for all people, including LGBTQ people. Florida leads the South in bipartisan support for this common sense nondiscrimination legislation. Sponsors are Rep. Jackie Toledo, Jennifer Webb, and Sen. Darryl Rouson. 

SUPPORT HB 41/SB 180: So-called “conversion therapy” is fraudulent, dangerous, and inflicts immeasurable harm on its victims. Minors are especially vulnerable, as it has been tragically proven to lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, self-harm, and suicide. Protections Against Conversion Therapy will put an end to conversion therapy on minors by licensed mental health professionals. Sponsors are Rep. Michael Grieco and Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez. 

OPPOSE HB 3: Licensing Preemption would ban local governments from establishing critical protections against conversion therapy and undo the 21 existing local ordinances protecting against conversion therapy on vulnerable LGBTQ youth. Local governments must be able to protect residents’ health and welfare. Sponsor is Rep. Michael Grant. 

OPPOSE HB 537/SB 778: As written, the Preemption of Home-Based Businesses bill rolls back critical protections for vulnerable LGBTQ youth. It would enable conversion therapy, even where cities and counties have already instituted protections against the fraudulent and debunked practice, if it happens to be practiced in a home or home-based business. Sponsors are Rep. Byron Donalds and Sen. Keith Perry. 

SUPPORT HB 655/SB 940: The Hate Crimes Law Expansion would amend existing hate crimes law so that crimes of prejudice based on gender or gender identity are also considered hate crimes. Transgender people, and specifically transgender women of color, are disproportionately the victims of hate motivated violence. They deserve the full protection of law. Sponsors are Rep. Joseph Geller and Sen. Kevin Rader. 

SUPPORT HB 6011/SB 1010: It’s long past time for the Marriage Ban Repeal, which deletes outdated statute that bans recognizing same-sex marriage and defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Such laws are patently unconstitutional and devalue marriages that we have fought so hard for. Sponsors are Rep. Adam Hattersley and Sen. Gary Farmer. 

SUPPORT HB 45/SB 56: The School Voucher Equality Bill would ban any private school who discriminates against LGBTQ students from receiving public money. LGBTQ students need support and affirmation to succeed, and sanctioned discrimination in our schools with our tax dollars is wrong. Sponsors are Rep. Anna Eskamani and Senator Darryl Rouson. 

SUPPORT HCR 33/SCR 74: The Johns Committee Resolution acknowledges injustices perpetrated by the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee--also known as the Johns Committee--against the LGBTQ community in the 1950s and 60s, and offers a formal apology to those whose lives, well-being, and livelihoods were damaged or destroyed by the committee. Sponsors are Rep. Evan Jenne and Senator Lauren Book. 

OPPOSE HB 341/SB 746: The Study of the Bible and Religion bill is part of an anti-LGBTQ “Christian nationalist movement” to thwart LGBTQ equality. Bills like this one requiring our public schools to teach the Bible pretend to be about religious freedom, but in fact they seek to lay a foundation for extreme measures against LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections and reproductive freedom legislation. Sponsor is Rep. Kimberly Daniels and Sen. Dennis Baxley. 

HIV JUSTICE

SUPPORT HB 427/SB 626: HIV Modernization is designed to reduce criminal penalties for persons living with HIV, and bring our outdated statutes into alignment with decades of modern advances in HIV prevention science. Laws that criminalize living with HIV discourage testing, increase stigma, and contribute to the spread of HIV. Sponsors are Rep. Nick Duran and Sen. Jason Pizzo. 

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

Advocating for reproductive freedom is crucial to our fight for LGBTQ equality. It includes ensuring access to safe and legal abortion and supporting access to basic healthcare. That is why we are proud to fight shoulder to shoulder with our friends at Planned Parenthood, the Florida Latina Advocacy Network, Florida NOW, and so many others to defend access to reproductive health services. 

OPPOSE HB 265/SB 404: Forced Parental Consent bills forced teens to obtain parental consent prior to receiving an abortion, regardless of circumstance. We know that most teens already do consult with their parents, and that if they don’t, there’s often a good reason. That’s why leading health and medical professionals oppose such laws. Sponsors are Sen. Kelli Stargel and Rep. Erin Grall. 

OPPOSE HB 271: The extremist Heartbeat Bill is an unconstitutional attempt to oppose safe and legal abortion by imposing restrictions on access to abortion without exceptions. It could take away a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions before she even knew she was pregnant and had a decision to make, preventing access to abortion at all. Sponsors are Rep. Mike Hill. 

SUPPORT HB 6047: Safe and legal abortion is healthcare, and access to it should not be infringed upon for politically-motivated reasons. Repeal Abortion Restrictions would eliminate the burdensome mandatory delay law for access to abortion and would allow family planning organizations that also provide abortion access to receive public funds for pregnancy prevention programs. Sponsor is Rep. Anna Eskamani. 

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION

After the Pulse massacre claimed 49 lives, we committed to advocating for common sense gun violence prevention as part of our work to move equality forward for LGBTQ people. We know that discrimination against our community can be lethal, and gun violence is a civil rights issue that disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, including people of color and immigrants. Alongside allies like the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, we are advocating for policies to keep our families safe. 

SUPPORT HB 627 and SB 794: Bans on Military-style Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines are an important policy reform, especially after the Pulse massacre. There is simply no legitimate reason for private citizens to have access to military-style assault weapons used by the shooters at Pulse in Orlando, the music festival in Las Vegas, and at a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. These weapons of war do not belong in civilian hands. Sponsors are Rep. Carlos Smith and Sen. Linda Stewart. 

SUPPORT HB 451, SB 94, and SB 270: Expanded Background Checks will require that all firearm purchases include a background check conducted by a licensed firearm dealer. This would ensure safety by closing the “gun show loophole” that currently provides a means to avoid background checks for those who state law currently prohibits from possessing a firearm. Sponsors are Rep. Margaret Good (HB 451), Sen. Lauren Book (SB 94), and Sen. Gary Farmer (SB 270). 

SUPPORT HB 631/SB 266: Safe Storage legislation ensures safer handling of firearms by requiring owners to use a locking mechanism or secured container when a weapon is accessible to a minor. This helps prevent unauthorized users, including children, from accessing firemarms, which can reduce tragedies due to suicide, unintentional discharges, and gun theft. Sponsors are Rep. Tina Polsky and Sen. Gary Farmer. 

OPPOSE HB 6001: This bill to Allow Campus Carry would move Florida backwards by repealing the existing prohibitions on open carry and concealed carry at college and university campuses. In a University of South Florida poll, 73% of Florida adults polled said that allowing students to concealed carry on campus would be heading in the wrong direction. Sponsor is Rep. Anthony Sabitini. 

SUPPORT HB 6009: Preemption of Firearms and Ammunition. Repeals provisions preempting the field of regulation of firearms and ammunition to the Legislature, to the exclusion of local jurisdictions. Sponsor is Rep. Dan Daley.