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Over the last several days, Equality Florida has received a few emails suggesting that our recent efforts - condemning Tampa NBC affiliate WFLA's screening of a homophobic infomercial - amount to censorship. We could not disagree more. Equality Florida would vigorously defend the American Family Association's (AFA) RIGHT to say what they want. Only government can take rights away, and we would strongly oppose, let alone advocate for government limiting AFA's ability to speak.

GREAT St. Pete Times Editorial on NBC / WFLA's broadcast of the homophobic infomercial, Speechless (The Times is Florida's largest newspaper). Nice job by our communications director, Brian Winfield. We learned about this program on Saturday morning and have been mobilizing a massive statewide response - to demand an apology and to ensure it doesn't get aired elsewhere in Florida. In just 5 days, over 2,000 eqfl members have hammered WFLA with letters and calls. Stratton St. Pete Times: WFLA should have seen the red flags over antigay program

When we flex our collective political muscles, we are a force to be reckoned with, and victories in St. Pete this fall could yield a sea change in Pinellas politics. It's not that we must win every race. Simply winning a few, high profile, targeted races will send a signal to politicians that Equality is a winning message - and that homophobia has a political cost. Stratton St. Petersburg's gay community seeks to become key voting bloc in mayor and council elections By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer In Print: Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The right-wing Family Research Council is so outraged by the appointment of former Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network president Kevin Jennings to the Department of Education, the group has launched a campaign to get him booted from his post as assistant deputy secretary heading the department's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools..

Equality Florida members have flooded WFLA with more than a thousand emails and phone calls to express their outrage for running homophobic propaganda on the same night as St. Pete Pride. Thank you to everyone who took action! We'll be in touch soon with more updates as the story continues to develop.

Obama is working to make it illegal to discriminate against federal transgender employees. Read about it here. 

I am privileged enough to see my life through the lens of a gay man and an immigrant! I left the small town where I grew up in Latin America when I was only 17 years old. After growing up in an ultra conservative family and going to private Catholic school all my life, I could not have been more excited to move the United States. I was happy because I always admired the extremely high value that Americans place on equality and freedom, and I could not wait to live my life freely as a gay man in the United States.

This is a fabulous video from a speech given by Dr. Jill Biden at the GLSEN Respect awards. In this video she boldly calls out bullying and harassment against LGBTQ students and commits the Obama-Biden White House to protecting LGBTQ students in their schools.

Our friend, Representative Alcee Hastings, is leading the charge in Congress to ask the President to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. His letter, signed by other members of Congress, including 5 members from Florida, is below.  June 22, 2009

While we continue to fight in Tallahassee to change Florida's notorious adoption law, our legal partners at the ACLU and NCLR are pursuing two promising cases in the Florida courts. However, we need to be careful not to put all of our hopes in a legal solution. First, getting to and winning before the Florida Supreme Court is a very tall order.

Ruth Dorfman is a longtime member of Equality. She's been a champion for LGBT families in Naples and has worked for years on the coalition working to pass a non-discrimination ordinance in Collier County. This is a chilling reminder that the rise in hate speech across the country in recent weeks and months has very real and very dangerous consequences. Stratton SWASTIKAS PAINTED ON GARAGE DOOR OF WRITER OF ARTICLE ABOUT FAMILIES OF GAYS AND LESBIANS (PFLAG)

Obama to extend benefits to gay federal workers Story user rating: PHILIP ELLIOTT Published: 2 minutes ago

Editorial - A Bad Call on Gay Rights - NYTimes.com June 16, 2009 Editorial A Bad Call on Gay Rights

Senate hate crimes vote expected this week 

DAYTONA BEACH | Delegates to the annual meeting of the Florida United Methodist Conference on Friday expressed disapproval of a proposed change to the church's national constitution that would ensure gays are not denied membership in local congregations.