Blog

(Written By: Gina Duncan, Equality Florida's Director of Transgender Equality)  

TAMPA, Fla. — Today, Equality Florida Action PAC and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced both organizations are backing Jane Castor in the runoff election for mayor of Tampa, Florida. If elected, Castor will make history as the city’s first openly LGBTQ mayor.

In my first year as a staff member at Equality Florida, I heard over and over what a transformative experience Lobby Days is.

1,300 Businesses Across Florida Declare They Are “Open to All” Businesses Large and Small Across the Sunshine State Join National Campaign and Publicly Commit to Serving Everyone on Equal Terms

A bill that threatens to repeal every local LGBTQ inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance and conversion therapy ban in Florida was heard on March 14 in the second of three committee stops before a final vote in the House. The bad news: The bill is moving forward with an amendment that falls short of eliminating the threat.

A sweeping preemption measure would repeal local protections for 13 million Floridians, sparking economic backlash

  Tampa, FL - Jane Castor, Equality Florida’s top spotlight candidate of 2019, is one step closer to making LGBTQ history as Tampa’s first out lesbian mayor. Castor garnered 48% of the vote, coming in first in a crowded field of 7 candidates, and will head to a runoff election on April 23rd where she will face wealthy businessman David Straz.

(As of March 5, 2019)

Tallahassee, FL - Legislation to bring Florida’s existing HIV criminalization statutes into alignment with current science successfully passed out of its first committee hearing at the Florida Capitol yesterday. The Florida House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted 10-3 to advance the legislation (HB 79) after hearing from House bill sponsor Representative Nick Duran (D - Miami) and HIV advocates on the need for reform.

HB 3 Could Jeopardize LGBTQ and Other Local Protections

  Written By: Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida   If you’ve never travelled to Tallahassee to lobby for LGBTQ equality, this is the year to show up and call on leaders to include our community as equals in the state’s civil rights statute.

 

Equality Florida is proud to announce our Spring 2019 Intern Cohort! We have representation from all over the state, including Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Lakeland, and Tampa Bay! Learn more about our interns and help us welcome them to the team!

Fort Lauderdale — This week President Trump announced a goal of ending HIV transmissions in the U.S. by 2030. For HIV advocates around the country, eradicating HIV has been a viable goal for years since we now have the tools to stop transmissions. Unfortunately, standing in the way of HIV advocates — and now the Trump-Pence administration — is the administration itself. Since taking office, this administration has made headlines in the HIV field for harmful policies directly contradicting the President’s recent hopeful statement.

Judge Preliminarily Green-Lights Lawsuit Against Conversion Therapy Ban Florida Case Could Proceed Despite Two Federal Circuits Rejecting Similar Challenges

 

On January 24, 2019, the Human Rights Campaign, National LGBTQ Task Force, National Center for Lesbian Rights, the ACLU of Florida, the National Center for Transgender Equality, QLatinX, Florida Trans Proud, TransAction Florida, and Equality Florida released the following statement in support of nondiscrimination protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The organizations reaffirm their support for fully-inclusive, comprehensive protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Tallahassee — Today Senator Darryl Rouson (D - St. Petersburg) and Representative Jennifer Webb (D - St. Petersburg) filed HB 485 and SB 430, comprehensive legislation to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Floridians under Florida’s existing Civil Rights Act.

January 22, 2019 — Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order allowing the Trump administration’s transgender military ban to go into effect temporarily while challenges to the policy continue in federal courts. Equality Florida Director of Transgender Equality Gina Duncan issued the following statement in response: