Statements & Press Releases

Press Release ∙
First-Ever Equality Florida Cable Ads Win Prestigious Reed Awards
Equality Florida's first-ever cable television ads, produced during the 2022 session to expose DeSantis's classroom censorship agenda, won two Reed Awards from Campaign & Elections for best public affairs TV ads.
Equality Florida
Statement ∙
Federal Judge Strikes Down Ban on Medicaid Coverage for Gender Affirming Care
A federal court ruled that Florida's rule denying Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care violates the federal Medicaid statute, the Equal Protection Clause, and the Affordable Care Act, a victory Equality Florida said exposed the policy as politically motivated.
Press Release ∙
Federal Court Halts Anti-Transgender Healthcare Ban, Protects Children’s Rights
US District Judge Robert Hinkle granted a preliminary injunction against Florida's rules and parts of SB 254 banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth, allowing plaintiff families to access care while affirming transgender people's humanity.
Transgender
Press Release ∙
Nation’s Largest LGBTQ Advocacy Group Joins Equality Florida In Issuing Updated Florida Travel Advisory
Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign issued an updated Florida travel advisory after the state's most anti-LGBTQ legislative session in history, joining similar warnings from the NAACP and LULAC about Florida's hostile climate.
Equality Florida LGBTQ
Statement ∙
Equality Florida Hosts Press Conference On DeSantis’ “Slate of Hate” Bills Signing
Gov. DeSantis signed four anti-LGBTQ bills into law, the Don't Say LGBTQ Expansion, Gender Affirming Care Ban, Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill, and Anti-Drag Bill, the largest such slate in a single Florida legislative session in state history.
Equality Florida
Press Release ∙
Florida Legislature Passes Gender Affirming Care Ban
The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 254, the Gender Affirming Care Ban, which outlaws care for transgender minors, criminalizes providers, and restricts care for adults. Advocates had narrowed it from a more extreme House version.
Press Release ∙
Florida Legislature Passes Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill
The Florida House passed HB 1521 by an 80-36 vote, sending the Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill to the governor. The bill prohibits gender-inclusive restrooms in schools, prisons, and government buildings, separating use by sex assigned at birth.
Nondiscrimination Transgender
Press Release ∙
Florida Legislature Expands “Don’t Say LGBTQ” Law, Restricts Parental Rights
The Florida Senate passed HB 1069 by a 27-12 vote, expanding the Don't Say LGBTQ law through eighth grade, revoking parents' right to ensure correct pronoun use, and accelerating book bans by letting any person trigger a book's removal.
LGBTQ
Statement ∙
Equality Florida Denounces Governor DeSantis for Abusing Power to Silence Dissent
Equality Florida denounced Gov. DeSantis for threatening the licensure of Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna at the urging of Moms for Liberty, calling it targeted retaliation against a critic and an abuse of power.
Equality Florida
Statement ∙
Parents and Teachers Across Florida Slam Board of Education and DeSantis for “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” Expansion
The Human Rights Campaign and Equality Florida joined teachers, parents, and students in Tallahassee to condemn the Board of Education's expansion of Don't Say LGBTQ to all grades and the legislature's slate of anti-LGBTQ bills, including SB 254 and HB 1521.
Equality Florida LGBTQ