Amendment 2’s passage left many in the LGBT community rightfully angry, and left others others dejected and disillusioned.   There is no easy way to overturn Amendment 2.  A challenge in the state courts is pointless, as Amendment 2 is now part of the Florida Constitution and the highest law of the state.  A challenge in the federal courts is not likely to be successful until the make-up of the U.S. Supreme Court changes to be more balanced and committed to equality and fairness.  

Marriage equality is part and parcel of full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians.   However, because of the passage of Amendment 2, progress on this issue will now have to come in two different approaches.  One is progress at the federal level, through repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.   Another is at the state and local level, by advancing the basic rights of LGBT Floridians with the aim of ultimately achieving full equality. 

So where do we go from here? How do we move forward? SAVE Dade proposes to galvanize the community behind our next fight: Nondiscrimination.

Currently, Florida is one of the 30 states that does not provide basic nondiscrimination laws for people based on sexual orientation, and one of the 37 states where it remains legal to fire someone based on his/her gender identity. SAVE Dade believes if people cannot self identify and be comfortable with who they are at work, school, or in public then how can we expect to be understood and supported for issues such as adoption and relationship recognition? Once basic protections are given to our families to help ensure equal access to the same opportunities, a domino effect of dialogue and education will eventually lead us to full equality.

SAVE Dade, in collaboration with local and statewide organizations, has initiated an ambitious “End Discrimination” plan to create localized nondiscrimination policy change, in order to lead to statewide nondiscrimination policy change by the end of three years. Currently, over 89% of Americans believe that gay and lesbian people should have the same rights as everyone else. SAVE Dade would like to build on this momentum.

We ask for you to join us on this  path to full equality in the state of Florida.  It is not an easy or quick path.  But with your help, and in partnership will all organizations which share this vision,we can unite the community to support and pass laws to protect all people from discrimination. And we can achieve our vision of a world without discrimination, where all people, including LGBT people, have full equality.