Post-Election Town Hall Summary & Resources
Thank you for calling in to our Post-Election Tele-Town Hall. As promised, below is a summary of what was discussed on tonight’s call along with important resources. You can also find out more and register for our Annual Lobby Days - being held on March 20 and 21 - by visiting: eqfl.org/lobbydays. We need your voice in Tallahassee this legislative session more than ever!
You can help us secure LGBTQ equality from the comfort of your own home! Sign up and our partners at NEAT will provide you with opportunities to phone bank in support of nondiscrimination protections locally, in Florida, and nationwide: theneat.org/eqfl.html
Remember, we are a strong community and together we will find the path forward to full LGBTQ equality!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further questions or concerns.
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TAKE CARE OF YOU & EACH OTHER
- Reach out to others to find community and share how you are feeling. It's important to take care of yourself.
- Reach out to those who may be feeling overwhelmed with events from this week. Ask how they are doing. Give them a space to talk.
- Participate in the Safety Pin Initiative: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/safety-pin-trump-brexit_us_58251b53e4b0c4b63b0c11a9
DON'T FORGET THE POSITIVE
- We elected Equality Florida staffer Carlos Guillermo Smith as the first openly LGBTQ Latino state legislator
- Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the Florida House, and a record four Republican Senators have pledged to cosponsor the Florida Competitive Workforce Act to protect LGBT Floridians
- NC Governor McCrory, who staked his political career on the nation's most notorious anti-lgbt law, appears to be the only Republican in the South to lose a statewide election
- Despite the election result, the majority of the popular vote supported a pro-LGBTQ platform by an estimated 2 million votes!
TAKE ACTION:
- Join us for our annual Lobby Days in Tallahassee on March 20 & 21. RSVP here: http://www.eqfl.org/lobbydays
- NEAT - http://www.theneat.org/eqfl.html (phone bank at home for LGBTQ issues in Florida)
- Report discrimination or hate crimes at http://www.eqfl.org/discrimination_report
MARRIAGE & FAMILY
- Because of the contents of the Obergefell ruling, it is highly unlikely that marriage equality would be overturned. The process would involve replacing multiple SCOTUS judges, finding a case, and working it through the courts - something that would take many years (if at all).
- Because of precedent, anyone who gets married should not be in any danger of having those marriages overturned.
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We do encourage you to move forward quickly with consulting with lawyers and organizations in your state about all options to secure all parents' rights via a parental judgement or second parent / stepparent adoption
- Remember a birth certificate alone is NOT always determinative of parentage!
- To learn more, visit: http://www.eqfl.org/family_recognition/faq
- Additional Questions? You can reach out to our family law attorney Elizabeth Schwartz at [email protected]
- Check to see where your health insurance is from and if any LGBT provisions may be affected by a potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act
TRANS ISSUES
- Overall, the federal rights of transgender students and employees should remain secure as those are based on federal statutes and the U.S. Constitution.
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Any youth or parents who are concerned can contact Asaf Orr, NCLR Transgender Youth Project Attorney, [email protected]; 415-365-1326
- For more info and social media (coming soon): www.nclrights.org/alettertotransyouth
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Get your ID documents updated - passport, state ID, social security, etc. now while choosing your gender marker is an option
- Changing gender marker on passport: http://www.transequality.org/know-your-rights/passports
- http://www.transequality.org/documents/state/florida
- Transgender Resource Guide: http://www.eqfl.org/transactionfl
- NCLR's FAQ for transgender people on name and gender changes: http://www.nclrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FAQ-Post-2016-Elect…
- NCLR's FAQ on transgender name and gender change issues: http://www.nclrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FAQ-Name-and-Gender…
- Experiencing discrimination? Know a friend or student who is experiencing discrimination for being transgender? Please fill out our discrimination report at: http://www.eqfl.org/discrimination_report
OTHER ISSUES TO WATCH
- Overall there are a lot of policies that will be difficult or impossible to overturn (for example, the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court interpretations of constitutional rights e.g. Obergefell). Our organizations will work to make sure that continues.
- While Trump has said he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he has recently suggested he may only amend it, and any changes will take time. In the meantime, be sure you know whether your insurance plan is covered by the Affordable Care Act or other law and have a plan in case protections under the ACA are rolled back.
- While not new, and we continue to fight them, we expect additional Religious Exemption and FADA laws to be introduced at the state and federal level. This was a concern before the election and, with the election results, has increased.
- Issues that also disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community including immigration, religious freedom, women's health and reproductive justice will also be under attack. It is important that we stand together and support LGBTQ people with multiple identities and our allies.
- We will continue to push for statewide anti-discrimination protections at the local and state level through the passage of the Florida Competitive Workforce Act
RESOURCES
- Keep talking to others and sharing our stories!
- LGBTQ Family FAQ - http://www.eqfl.org/family_recognition/faq
- TransAction Florida’s Transgender Resource Guide - http://www.eqfl.org/transactionfl
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NCLR - http://www.nclrights.org/legal-help-resources/
- http://www.nclrights.org/legal-help/
- Helpline: 800.528.6257
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Elizabeth Schwartz - Florida Family Law Attorney - [email protected]
- Check out Liz's recent Huffington Post article: What’s Next? LGBT Equality In A Trumpocalypse