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Hate Crimes
Brief Overview
The tragic and predictable consequence of anti-gay hate speech is violence targeted at the LGBT community.
According to the Florida Attorney General, hate crimes based on sexual orientation currently account for 22 percent of all hate crimes, surpassing religion as the second highest category. Race is still the most common motivation. When taking into account the size of the targeted communities, LGBT Floridians are at the highest risk of being targeted with a hate crime.
Florida law provides increased penalties for hate crimes based on sexual orientation and has been interpreted to include hate crimes targeting the transgender community as well. Adding explicit protections for gender identity and expression to our state hate crimes statute continues to be a priority.
Equality Florida worked to ensure that a majority of Florida’s representatives in Congress voted to pass the Matthew Shepard / James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act - the first federal protections for the LGBT community. Today, Florida ranks 4th in the nation, behind California, New York and Texas, in the number of people
protected by state hate crimes laws.
The tragic and predictable consequence of anti-gay hate speech is violence targeted at the LGBT community.
According to the Florida Attorney General, hate crimes based on sexual orientation currently account for 22 percent of all hate crimes, surpassing religion as the second highest category. Race is still the most common motivation. When taking into account the size of the targeted communities, LGBT Floridians are at the highest risk of being targeted with a hate crime.
Thrilling Election in Jacksonville - The Pendulum is Swinging
The results of yesterday's runoff elections in Jacksonville could signal a new day in Florida politics. Because Jacksonville is the largest city in North Florida, conservative candidates running for statewide or federal office usually count on Jacksonville for lopsided support.
Earlier this week we sent an email that took aim at two extremists running in yesterday's election - Mike Hogan (R) for mayor and Kimberly Daniels (D) for at large commission.
Report Shows Marriage Equality Would Earn NY $391 Mil
From the Huffington Post:
The State Senate's Independent Democratic Conference has released a report showing that marriage equality in New York state would generate $391 million in economic activity, revenue, and savings during the three years after it is made into law.