Statewide

Activists Say Rick Scott Promised an Executive Order After Pulse. It's Been a Year, but No Action.

In the wake of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando last year, Gov. Rick Scott’s staff told LGBTQ rights activists in backroom meetings that he would sign an executive order banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in state hiring and contracting.

One year later, it’s a promise Scott hasn’t kept, says state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat and former lobbyist for Equality Florida, which advocates on behalf of Florida’s LGBTQ community.

A year after a gunman targeted the gay nightclub Pulse on "Latin Night" and murdered 49 people, LGBTQ advocates say Gov. Rick Scott broke his promise by failing to sign an order that would protect state employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - In the days and months after the June 12, 2016, Pulse nightclub attack, support for the LGBTQ community in Florida was at an all-time high.

As that support peaked, groups such as Equality Florida and individuals including state Rep. Carlos Guillermo-Smith were assured that Gov. Rick Scott would be signing an executive order to protect state employees and government contractors from discrimination.