This year an unprecedented number of bills to advance LGBT equality have been filed with the Florida legislature, and SAVE Dade has played an important role in supporting each of these bills, which would protect against discrimination, repeal gay adoption, and provide domestic partnerships to state employees.
ADOPTION
Florida is one of only two states that specifically bans gays and lesbians from adopting children. In 1978, the Florida Legislature enacted sixteen ugly words in Section 63.042 of the Florida Statues: “no person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is a homosexual.” Though this ban was first introduced under the guise of “protecting children,” it has caused more harm than good to those who matter most – the children. Out of the 4,642 children up for adoption in Florida, nearly 2,000 have yet to be paired with families, according to the state’s Department of Children and Families. New independent polls show an increasing majority of support from Floridians to repeal the ban.
Securing Our Children’s Rights (SOCR), the statewide organization focused on repealing Florida’s gay adoption ban, succeeded this year in getting Tallahassee legislators in both the House and Senate to introduce, for the first time, a bill that would repeal the gay adoption ban outright. The adoption ban bill numbers are HB 413, sponsored by Rep. Mary Brandenburg, and SB 500 sponsored by Sen. Nan Rich.
SAVE Dade has played an important role in supporting and lobbying for this bill in Miami-Dade County. SAVE Dade’s efforts have secured several new sponsors for the bill: State Representatives Ronald A. Brise (D – North Miami), State Representative Dwight Bullard (D – Miami), and State Representative Oscar Braynan (D – Miami Gardens). ACLU of Florida, Equality Florida, Organizations United Together, and other LGBT and allied organizations are also doing work to support this bill.
DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS
Another historic milestone this year was the introduction of a bill to provide domestic partner benefits to Florida state employees, which was developed and filed in the Senate through the efforts of Equality Florida. Polls show that 77% of Floridians agree with extending benefits to unmarried couples.
SAVE Dade, Equality Florida, and the Miami Clinic Access Project worked in partnership to lobby for the introduction of this new domestic partnership bill in the Florida House of Representatives, which will entitle unmarried couples to enter into a form of relationship recognition granting them basic rights such as hospital visitation rights. Together, these three organizations reached out to Representative Richard Steinberg, who demonstrated courageous leadership in filing this bill in the House as a companion to the Senate bill. The Relationship Recognition bill numbers are HB 1067, sponsored by Rep. Richard Steinberg, and SB 1642, sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel.
PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination in the workplace, housing, finance and public accommodations still threatens LGBT families and individuals.
Backed by Sen. Ted Deutch (D – Delray Beach) and Rep. Kelly Skidmore (D – Boca Raton), a new bill is being introduced that calls for the revision of the Florida Civil Rights Act and the state’s Fair Housing Act to include “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy and familial status” under the protections granted by both acts. The bill numbers to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act are HB 397, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Skidmore, and SB 2012, sponsored by Sen. Ted Deutch.
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council is working with the SAVE Dade, ACLU of Florida, Equality Florida, Organizations United Together, the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida, the Anti-Defamation League, Florida NOW and many other allied organizations, urging legislators to co-sponsor the bill.
It is still legal in Florida to be discriminated against or even fired for being or perceived to be LGBT in your place of employment. A report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that 15% of gays and lesbians have experienced some sort of discrimination or unfair job practices at work because of their sexual orientation.
Recent polls have also shown that 89% of Floridians believe that homosexuals should have the same rights in housing, job opportunities and public accommodations. Currently, seven counties and ten cities in Florida have amended their fair employment and housing laws to extend protections to cover "sexual orientation" and/or "gender identity or expression".
The bill has increased in popularity with many state representatives, and many more are expected to add their name to the growing list of co-sponsors.
“All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home,” said Skidmore.
TAKE ACTION NOW
We urge you to write to your Florida representative and Florida Senator and ask them to support all pro-equality bills during this session. Here is a link to your Florida House of Representatives and your Florida Senate. Click here to use a sample letter or pick up the phone and call them.
Sample Letter: Edit your own letter.
Thank you!
I appreciate your work in standing up for fairness and true equality for all in Florida.
I am proud to know you are a sponsor of legislation that is long overdue in our state.
A growing majority of Floridians believe that discrimination is wrong and that it should be illegal.
89% of Floridians support adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state civil rights law;
77% of Floridians believe gay couples should have full domestic partnership protections;
78% of Floridians believe students should be taught medically accurate, age appropriate sex education;
69% of Floridians support repealing Florida's anti-gay adoption ban.
History and public opinion are on your side.
Thank you for being a true leader
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
