Double Victory in Tallahassee
A major victory came yesterday out of the state's capital. The Tallahassee City Commission voted unanimously to provide domestic partner benefits for same-sex employees. City employees with now be able to add their partners in health, dental, vision and other benefits.
In a double victory, the city also agreed to include sexual orientation and gender identity under the city's anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.
Commissioner Andrew Gillum has a brother who is gay and said he has heard his brother discuss being a "second-class citizen".
"I'm just very proud of the Commission today for considering this," said Gillum.
Tallahassee Mayor John Marks said, "Quite frankly, I was surprised we had not done this a long time ago. All individuals should be treated equally."
A big congratulations to the local group of people in Tallahassee, including an Equality Florida board member, who have worked for months to get this change.