EQUALITY

WINNING EQUALITY WHO WE ARE Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s , , bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

Through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their or gender identity.

Equality Florida formed in 1997 as Governor took office and Florida’s state government made a hard turn to the right. In an era of setbacks for progressive causes, Equality Florida has defeated every piece of anti-LGBT legislation filed in Tallahassee for 14 years in a row. These bills included efforts to: overturn all local anti-discrimination policies, repeal all safe schools policies, expand Florida’s anti-gay adoption ban, and prohibit domestic partnership benefits and protections.

HOW WE’RE WINNING EQUALITY

Because Equality Florida has always existed in a hostile Children and Families to immediately end enforcement of political climate, we know how to carve our victories despite the ban and not pursue an appeal to the Supreme Court once strong opposition. the ban was ruled unconstitutional on September 22, 2010.

In addition to our work in Tallahassee, we work with our Under our watch, Florida has led the southeastern local partners, providing resources and helping to build United States in passing over 60 local policies outlawing coalitions that have passed pro-equality laws across the state. discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, banning harassment of LGBT students, and We defend against bad bills and introduce pro-LGBT providing domestic partnership benefits to our families. legislation every single year. Our efforts continue to expand We also lead the region in electing LGBT candidates, support for our issues across party lines. with 24 openly LGBT officials holding elected office in Florida as of June 1, 2011. For 8 years, we led a broad-based coalition that secured the 2008 passage of the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Through our continuous public education campaigns, we Students Act, an anti-bullying law that has resulted in are winning the battle of public opinion with a strong protections from anti-LGBT bullying and harassment for majority of Floridians now supporting nearly every one of students all across the state. our pro-equality issues.

Equality Florida played a critical role in bringing an end to We invite you to take a look at the following pages of Florida’s 33-year-old anti-gay adoption ban. In addition to Winning Equality and see how prominently Florida stands years of public education on the harm caused by the ban, we on the national stage of LGBT equality. Your support makes successfully lobbied the Governor and the Department of every one of these victories possible. RECENT VICTORIES

the ban and not pursue an appeal to the 2011: (as of June 1st) Supreme Court once the ban was ruled unconstitutional on September 22, 2010. t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBQMBZFEBMFBEFSTIJQ t 8FQMBZFEBNBKPSSPMFJOFMFDUJOH role, along with the members of the Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe, the first Orlando Anti-discrimination Ordinance out gay mayor of a North Florida city. Committee, in the successful two-year The election’s razor-thin margin, 42 votes, effort to add domestic partner benefits meant that our fundraising, staffing and for Orange County employees. volunteer organizing efforts were critical. t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBIFMQFEMFBEUIFĕHIU t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBIFMQFEMFBEBTVDDFTTGVM t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBTQFBSIFBEFEBTVDDFTTGVM to defeat an anti-LGBT campaign to Broward-based coalition effort to effort to add domestic partnership remove sexual orientation and gender add gender identity and expression benefits in the City of Kissimmee. identity from Gainesville’s human rights to the Broward County School’s non- ordinance. discrimination policy. t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBIFMQFEMFBEBDPBMJUJPO effort to pass a human rights ordinance t &MFDUFEPG&RVBMJUZ'MPSJEB"DUJPO t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBQSPWJEFEDSJUJDBMTVQQPSU in Leon County that includes sexual 1"$TFOEPSTFEDIBNQJPOTJODMVEJOH to our local partners in the successful orientation and gender identity. The Steve Kornell, the first openly gay City effort to add sexual orientation and county is home to our state capital, $PVODJMNFNCFSJO4U1FUFSTCVSH PVS gender identity to the Volusia County Tallahassee. state’s 4th largest city. Human Rights Ordinance. t 8FMBVODIFE&RVBMJUZ.FBOT#VTJOFTT  t &OTVSFEUIBUBCJQBSUJTBONBKPSJUZPG t 8FDPOUJOVFEPVSZFBSTUSFBLPG a project aimed at spotlighting and Florida’s U.S. Representatives voted for the defeating anti-gay legislation that increasing the number of Florida Matthew Shepard / James Byrd Jr. Hate has been introduced every year since employers with LGBT-inclusive Crimes Act – the first pro-LGBT federal Equality Florida was formed. anti-discrimination policies. In only law in our nation’s history. its first year, six Fortune 500 companies t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBIFMQFEMFBEUIF have joined the advisory board. Visit t 'PVHIUBOUJ-(#5BUUBDLTCZDIBMMFOHJOH successful effort to create an LGBT EqualityMeansBusiness.org. Buju Banton’s homophobic concert tour inclusive anti-bullying policy in Volusia of Florida and staging massive protests County schools. t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBMFEBTVDDFTTGVMFČPSUUP of NBC in Tampa for airing anti-gay add sexual orientation and gender identity television programming. 2010: to the Hillsborough County School District’s non-discrimination policy. We 2008: also added gender identity to Tampa’s t &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEBQMBZFEBDSJUJDBMSPMF human rights ordinance. in bringing an end to Florida’s 33- t 8FQBTTFEUIF +FČSFZ+PIOTUPO4UBOE year-old anti-gay adoption ban. In Up for All Students Act, an anti-bullying addition to years of public education 2009: law that has resulted in protections from on the harm caused by the ban, we anti-LGBT bullying and harassment for successfully lobbied the Governor and t 1BTTFEOFXEPNFTUJDQBSUOFSTIJQ BOUJ students all across the state. the Department of Children and Families discrimination, and safe schools policies to immediately end enforcement of in cities and counties across Florida. THEN

Equality Florida formed in 1997 out of a successful effort to stop anti-LGBT extremists in their attempt to repeal Tampa’s sexual orientation-inclusive human rights ordinance. This map demonstrates the local policies that were in place prior to Equality Florida’s existence. In addition to these local policies, the statewide hate crimes law included sexual orientation protections. NOW

Statewide victories are built on successes at the local level. Equality Florida leads grassroots efforts and we support those of our local partners in cities and counties across Florida to win protections for our community and to defeat anti-gay initiatives. We measure the effectiveness of everything we do by whether it strengthens local organizing. Here is a sample of local successes in Florida:

Nassau Okaloosa Gadsden Madison

Duval

Liberty

Taylor Volusia

Polk

Tampa Hillsborough Kissimmee

Human Rights Ordinance passed banning discrimination based on sexual orientation & gender identity Gulfport/ Pinellas Domestic Partner policies offering Dunedin legal protections or benefits to unmarried partners.

Safe Schools policy passed banning Sarasota anti-LGBT bullying/discrimination. Equal Benefits Ordinance requiring City of government vendors to provide Sarasota registered domestic partners with identical benefits provided to married employees. Hardee Equality Florida Staffed Office

Policies include protections for Gray sexual orientation. only Miami Miami Miami Beach Beach Current as of May 20, 2011 - with North Miami North Miami more victories coming every month! Where a county-wide ordinance provides protections, individual city policies have not been listed. OUTLAWING STOPPING PROTECTING DISCRIMINATION HATE VIOLENCE LGBT STUDENTS

Florida has passed 26 city and Florida law provides increased Florida protects more students from county ordinances banning penalties for hate crimes based anti-LGBT bullying than any other discrimination based on sexual on sexual orientation and has state except California and New York. orientation and/or gender identity been interpreted to include hate Eighteen Florida school districts ban and expression. crimes targeting the transgender harassment and bullying 10,179,676 community as well.* based on sexual orientation 1,676,029 10,179,676 Floridians and fourteen also ban are protected from During 2009, Equality Florida bullying based on gender discrimination based on worked to ensure that a majority identity and expression. 3,145,210 of Florida’s representatives in sexual orientation. Florida 312,128 ranks 4th in the nation, Congress voted to pass the Equality Florida also Matthew Shepard / James Byrd runs the Florida Gay behind California, New York BEFORE TODAY BEFORE TODAY and Illinois, in the number EQFL +S)BUF$SJNFT1SFWFOUJPO"DU Straight Alliance (GSA) EQFL Number of Floridians protected - the first federal protections for Network, a training and Number of Florida students of people protected from from discrimination based on protected based on sexual discrimination based on sexual orientation the LGBT community. Florida support network for LGBT orientation ranks 4th in the nation, behind students. Our Florida sexual orientation. 1,142,106 California, New York and GSA Network has been Texas, in the number of people recognized as the nation’s 5,995,276 Floridians protected by state hate crimes fastest growing state protected from discrimination based laws. network with over 110 on sexual orientation and gender GSA clubs across Florida. identity and expression. Florida *Adding explicit protections for 0 ranks 5th in the nation, behind gender identity and expression BEFORE TODAY California, Illinois, 1,676,029 students EQFL 5,995,276 to our state hate crimes statute are protected from Number of Florida students New Jersey, and continues to be a priority. protected based on sexual bullying based on sexual orientation and Washington, gender identity in the number orientation. Florida ranks of people 4th in the nation, behind California, 0 New York and Illinois, in the number BEFORE TODAY protected from EQFL discrimination of students protected. Number of Floridians protected based on gender from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity identity and 1,142,106 students expression. are protected from bullying based on gender identity and expression. Florida ranks 6th in the nation, behind California, New York, Illinois, North Carolina and New Jersey, in the number of students protected. SHIFTING WINNING PUBLIC OPINION DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP 6,747,796 RIGHTS Equality Florida works every day to win the hearts and minds of all There are 12 Florida cities and counties that provide Floridians in our march toward full EPNFTUJDQBSUOFSTIJQCFOFĕUTFJUIFSUISPVHI%1SFHJTUSJFT 82,114 equality. or public employee benefit programs. These programs reach BEFORE TODAY 1 out of every 3 Floridians. EQFL We coordinate campaigns with local Number of Floridians with leaders in efforts to pass ordinances, access to Domestic Partnerships oppose anti-gay ballot measures and 6,747,796 Floridians win critical elections. We galvanize live in communities that provide access to domestic partnership benefits the media around stories like and/or protections through their city or county governments (and millions Attorney General Bill McCullom’s more have access through their employers). outrageous payments to anti-gay , who was later Florida ranks 7th in the nation caught with a male escort. We bring in the number of LGBT people living in communities that recognize communities together for discussions domestic partnerships, behind California, New York, New Jersey, and town hall meetings on issues .BTTBDIVTFUUT 1FOOTZMWBOJB BOE8BTIJOHUPO like racism, homophobia, freedom of speech and LGBT family recognition. We work to ensure fair and accurate coverage in the media. ELECTING Nearly everything we fight for depends on PRO-EQUALITY the election of fair-minded politicians. We have built the largest voter file ever assembled CHAMPIONS to mobilize the LGBT vote in Florida - over 350,000 pro-equality voters. Every election cycle, we screen thousands of candidates and Equality Florida distribute hundreds of thousands of voter Supporters - guides to ensure our community and our allies 156,000 are informed and turn out to vote.

Pro-LGBT "EEJUJPOBMMZ &RVBMJUZ'MPSJEB"DUJPO1"$ Voter File - works to elect out LGBT candidates and 350,000 politicians who champion LGBT equality. Number of LGBT elected officials in Florida - 24, the most in the south and 6th highest in the nation.

Data used in this report is current as of June 1, 2011. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS

Some victories stand out above the rest. Here are of some of our proudest victories on behalf of Florida’s LGBT and allied community.

ADOPTION LOBBYING Equality Florida played a critical role in bringing an end to Florida’s 33-year-old anti-gay adoption ban. In addition to Equality Florida has provided a voice for Florida’s years of public education on the harm caused by the ban, LGBT community during legislative session in we successfully lobbied the Governor and the Department Tallahassee every year since our founding and we of Children and Families to immediately end enforcement continue our 14-year streak of never allowing an of the ban and not pursue an uncertain appeal to the Supreme anti-LGBT bill to pass the Florida Legislature and Court once the ban was ruled “unconstitutional” on become law. September 22, 2010. ELECTIONS SAFE SCHOOLS 0VS&RVBMJUZ'MPSJEB"DUJPO1"$IBTIFMQFEFMFDU Equality Florida’s ten year effort to make schools safe for LGBT out LGBT politicians since 2004. Today, we lead the students led to the 2008 passage of the Jeffrey Johnston Stand southeast region in electing LGBT candidates, with 24 Up for All Students Act. This anti-bullying law has resulted openly LGBT officials holding elected offices in Florida in protections from anti-LGBT bullying and harassment for as of May 2011. millions of students across the state. LOCAL SUCCESS HATE CRIMES Under our watch, Florida has led the southeastern Equality Florida has worked with local and state law United States in passing over 60 local policies outlawing enforcement for 14 years to ensure anti-LGBT hate crimes are discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender made visible and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In identity, banning bullying of LGBT students, and 2007, 24-year-old Ryan Skipper was murdered in an anti-gay providing domestic partnership benefits to our families. hate crime. With the support of Ryan’s family and friends, we challenged unsubstantiated and irresponsible accusations by the For more information, contact: 1PML$PVOUZ4IFSJČBOEXFIPTUFENFNPSJBMSBMMJFTJO'MPSJEB Equality Florida cities and Washington DC. Over 1,000 supporters came out to [email protected] honor and remember Ryan and all victims of hate crimes. (813) 870-3735 PO Box 13184 St. Petersburg, FL 33733