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Another note about Lobby Week from Brian in Tallahassee:

A volunteer's first person account from Lobby Week. by Vicki

Yesterday, after 33 years of silence, Florida's shameful adoption ban was brought up for debate on the floor of the Florida Senate. This moment was months in the making.

What an afternoon at the Capitol! Through some very crafty maneuvering on the part of our Public Policy team in Tallahassee, today we forced debate on Florida's notorious adoption ban on the floor the Florida House and Senate - something that had not happened once in the 33 years since this law passed.

BREAKING NEWS Later today, for the first time in 33 years, the Florida Legislature is scheduled to debate whether people should be asked about their sexual orientation when applying to adopt.

From Scott Maxwell at the Orlando Sentinel: Orlando Republican Steve Precourt championed bill supposed to be about economic development but strayed off course Scott Maxwell  TAKING NAMES

State Representative Rick Kriseman (D-St. Pete) has filed a house memorial that would call on President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. 

Dear Friends,

Victory in Kissimmee! Sign on to our Thank You letter today and be included in the note we send the City Commission.

 Last month we reported homophobic smear tactics were being used in Gainesville against openly gay city commissioner Craig Lowe who is now running for Mayor. Apparently, the opposition has not gotten the memo that homophobia doesn't play well in Gainesville because they are at it again. 

There have been many studies suggesting that married people enjoy better health than single people. Here is just another study from Israel, echoing the same results. So the denial of marriage rights for gay men and women is actually an assault on the health of our community. The leaders of the movement for marriage equality need to start touting the health benefits of marriage, while objecting strongly to the denial of these better health benefits for gay men and women ready to tie the knot with the person they love.- Marc Paige

An investigative story appears in today St. Petersburg Times that uncovers Florida's near negligent treatment of 1900 children who have recently aged out of our foster care system with out ever having been adopted.

Once again, Broward County is blazing new trails for the rights of LGBTQA students in Florida.

By a unanimous vote yesterday, the Lake Worth City Commission passed a resolution calling for repeal of Florida's adoption ban - the most notorious anti-gay state law in the country. Kudos to Allan Hendricks who led the effort for Equality Florida.Here's his account from commission chambers:

Equality Florida, Senator Sobel and Representative Randolph have teamed up to introduce a resolution that would condemn policies that advocate or incite violence against LGBT people and people living with HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Walk Orlando 2010 will take place on April 24th. Join Equality Florida's team of walkers in support of a great cause, the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida.

One of Equality Florida's strongest champions in the Florida Legislature, Rep. Rick Kriseman, is stepping up again on behalf of Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. He just filed a measure called a House Memorial (HM 1459) urging Congress and the President to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a discriminatory policy that requires LGBT service members to lie about who they are if they want to serve their country.

This week Equality Florida attended a statewide gathering of business leaders in Tallahassee.

Earlier in the week, we reported a conflict of interest with State Senator John Thrasher as chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections and as the newly elected chair of the Republican Party of Florida. 

I just got off of a conference call with Maryland's Attorney General. Mr. Gansler wanted to talk firsthand with Equality Florida and other leaders in the marriage equality movement to explain the significance of his just published opinion that Maryland could recognize out-of-state marriages.