Past time for Scott to honor vow to act against LGBT discrimination

Release Date

07/13/2017

Source

'Last month Gov. Rick Scott issued a proclamation declaring June 12 Pulse Remembrance Day “in recognition of the 49 innocent lives lost in the horrific attack on Pulse nightclub” in Orlando a year earlier. He directed state flags to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset and asked state residents to pause for a moment of silence.

It was a welcome gesture, but far too transitory for a tragedy that the governor acknowledged “left a solemn impact on our state that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.” A more enduring response from Scott would have been an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT Floridians, the class of people so brutally targeted in the Pulse massacre.

Such an order from Scott is long past due. Representatives with Equality Florida, a statewide organization that promotes LGBT rights, first appealed to the governor’s staff in a meeting a month after the massacre to bar discrimination by state agencies and companies that contract with the state against employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Equality Florida representatives said they were repeatedly told in follow-up conversations with the governor’s staff that an order was in the works — an account the staff has not disputed. But this week the governor’s press secretary suggested the order was unnecessary. “In accordance with federal guidelines, Florida state agencies do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, and state employees should not be discriminated against in any way,” wrote Lauren Schenone.'

Read the full article here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-rick-scott-lgbt-discrimination-20170711-story.html

Past time for Scott to honor vow to act against LGBT discrimination

In the News

Past time for Scott to honor vow to act against LGBT discrimination -

Faith leaders call on Gov. Rick Scott to honor Pulse victims with executive order -

Faith leaders, LGBTQ community request action from Gov. Scott -

Orlando faith leaders call on Rick Scott to sign anti-discrimination order -

Orlando faith leaders call on Rick Scott to protect LGBTQ state employees -

Pulse survivor: Gov. Scott 'cold,' 'out of step with community' -

LGBTQ activists call for more protection from Scott -

Gay, black leaders speak about finding their place -

Pulse mom to Rick Scott: Prove LGBTQ hate has no place in Florida -

Activists, political leaders criticize Scott on LGBTQ issues -

Advocates call out Rick Scott for failing to sign LGBTQ anti-discrimination order after Pulse -

Fla. Dems, Equality Florida say Rick Scott ‘broke promise’ to protect LGBTQ employees -

LGBTQ activists say Rick Scott promised to ban discrimination and never delivered -

Democratic Lawmaker Says Florida Gov. Scott Used Zika, Hurricane as Excuses to Not Sign Promised LGBT Protections -

Frustration mounts over Gov. Scott's failure to sign order protecting LGBTQ public employees -

Equality Florida CEO recalls 1993 March on Washington -

Onslaught of anti-LGBT bills in 2017 has activists 'playing defense' -

Publix to insure legally married same-sex employee couples regardless of state laws -

Bill that would end discrimination against LGBT community in Florida introduced -

Florida Republican and Democratic Legislators Renew Attempt to Protect Against Gay Bias -