 |
 History
During the 1990's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) groups in Florida worked in loose coalitions to block statewide anti-gay ballot initiatives and laws. In 1997, despite the coalition's efforts, the Florida legislature overwhelmingly passed a law banning gay and lesbian marriages. The need for a strong statewide group dedicated to education and advocacy had become clear.
Our greatest accomplishments include:
Supporting Local Organizing.
Unifying one of the largest, most diverse states into a strong network that strategize, educates, advocates and mobilizes at the local and state level. We have provided staffing, volunteer and technical assistance to local campaigns across the state. Since we formed, more than 20 local policies have passed in Florida that ban discrimination in the workplace, protect LGBT students from harassment in school, and recognize our relationships through domestic partnerships. Today more than ten million Floridians, a majority of our state’s residents, live or work in a community that has banned anti-gay discrimination.
We are in our seventh year of providing high caliber leadership and skills building trainings for local organizers and allies during our annual Statewide Leadership Roundtable.
Safe Schools Summit. We are in our fifth year of convening the Florida Safe Schools Summit. The Summit is a statewide gathering point for more than 150 Florida LGBT youth advocates and the members of the Dignity Coalition. In addition to information sharing sessions and safe schools workshops, the summit is a place to build consensus for our statewide Dignity strategy. Now in its fourth year, the summit has led to the formation of a powerful statewide LGBT youth network. Youth leadership has been the consistent engine behind this event and all workshops include a youth facilitator
Passing Laws Statewide. We have maintained since our inception a full-time presence in the state capitol during the legislative session. No anti-gay laws have passed and we’ve advanced the education and political prospect for pro-LGBT legislation. In 1999 we first introdueced the Florida Domestic Partnership Act. In 2002 we first introduced the Florida Dignity for All Students Act.
Voter Mobilization. We have identified a statewide database of 50,000 LGBT and allied voters. Every election cycle we poll candidates, distribute hundreds of thousands of voter guides, and mobilize our community to the polls.
TIMELINE:
1997
- Equality Florida was formed.
- First Statewide Leadership Meeting
- Launched effort to ID 100,000 LGBT voters
1998
- Equality Florida established a full-time presence at our state capital
- Equality Florida launched the statewide roundtable for local advocacy groups. Held annually since.
- First Statewide LGBT Lobby Day at the Capital draws 100 participants. Held annually since
1999
- Introduced a statewide Domestic Partnership bill (1999 and 2000)
- Held Florida's first-ever, statewide conference and rally for the basic rights of LGBT Floridians - the event drew more than 1,000 people to the capital.
2000
- Held the nation's first statewide LGBT Safe Schools Summit and built a network of more than 70 youth advocacy groups. Held annually since
- Mobilized 150,000 voters in national elections.
2001
- Launched www.eqfl.org – a fully interactive website – hits top 1 million annually.
- Launched Dignity for All Students Campaign.
- Legal Advocacy Project established – includes attorney referrals and discrimination reporting
- Hosted a statewide progressive leadership summit (held annually since)
2002
- Introduced Dignity for All Students Act.
- Built Dignity for All Students Coalition
- Supported Grassroots effort to calling on end to Adoption Ban
- Sexual Orientation protections added in 4 cities – 10 million people, a majority of the state, now or live or work in a community with protectinos.
- Played a significant role in defending the Dade Human Rights Ordinance from repeal
2003
- Dignity Bill moves forward – first ever committee hearing
- Blocked effort to repeal all Florida Human Rights Ordinances
- Opened regional offices with staff in South Florida, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Tampa
- Sent 25,000 voter guides in local elections
- Worked with Key West and Monroe County to add Gender Identity and Expression to the HRO – the first in the state.
2004
- With EQFL’s backing, Tampa Mayor Pam Lorio signed first ever executive order providing health insurance to Domestic Partners of city employees
- Equality Florida led a community response to the abduction of two gay men in Tampa resulting in the perpetrator’s conviction
- Opened first EQFL Field Office located in Miami
- Mobilized 350,0000 fair-minded voters through our TurnOut Florida Campaign
2005
- Launched Fairnessforallfamilies.org Marriage Equality Campaign
- Partnered with ACLU and other legal organizations to challenge the constitutionality of the anti-marriage amendment in the Florida Supreme Court
- Established the Coalition for Fair Adoption
- Won federal lawsuit ending St. Augustine’s discriminatory refusal to fly rainbow Pride flags from the Bridge of Lions
- Championed LGBT Student Groups (GSA’s) throughout the state
- Successfully led effort to overturn the homophobic evaluation and rejection of the “We Are Family” diversity video in Broward County
- Created a Youth and Student Outreach Staff position to mobilize young voters
- Achieved the first ever full hearing in a Senate Committee on a statewide school anti-bullying bill
- Were instrumental in the creation of an LGBT inclusive Safe Schools Policy in Clay County
- Opened EQFL’s Second Field Office in Orlando
- Launched the EQFL Meetup Program
- Partnered with local organizers to pass pro-LGBT policies in Miami Beach, Palm Beach, and Gulfport
2006
- Achieved the first legislative hearing in nearly 30 years to push for the repeal of Florida’s antigay adoption ban
- Through our Fairness for All Families Campaign, kept the far-right’s anti marriage equality amendment off the 2006 ballot
- Won a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives for the first-ever Safe Schools Bill
- Opened EQFL’s 3rd Field Office Located in Jacksonville
- Created Equality Florida PAC to expand our Voter Mobilization Effort
- Launched a statewide Get Out the Vote effort to mobilize 350,000 LGBT Supportive votes
|
 |
Tell
a Friend about this page