From the Advocate:

DADT Repeal Could Be Certified Friday
By Andrew Harmon

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen are prepared to recommend repeal certification of “don’t ask, don’t tell” as early as Friday, Defense officials confirmed with The Advocate.

"This afternoon, the president will meet with the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs to review the certification of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," according to a White House spokesman.

Breaking News! Miami-Dade Schools Now Protect All LGBT Students

Miami-Dade School District, the fourth largest in the nation, has added gender identity to their harassment and anti-bullying policy.

Equality Florida along with and members of our Miami-Dade Safe Schools Coalition have worked for more than a decade to expand these vital protections and Miami remained one of the few large Florida cities without such a policy, until now.

State Representative Luis Garcia from Miami Beach has declared he will run for Congress against incumbent David Rivera.

Garcia is a long time champion to the LGBT community. While serving on the Miami Beach city commission he helped pass several pro-LGBT policies and has been a consistent supporter of LGBT legislation in Tallahassee.

In his campaign announcement yesterday, Garcia told supporters he was running because, "The middle class has been under attack."

Note: Equality Florida worked with the Florida Independent to highlight the disproportionate impact hate crimes have on Florida's LGBT community. The article also points out that anti-LGBT hate crimes, as a percentage of all hate crimes in Florida, are at there highest level ever.

The US Senate Judiciary Committee is currently hearing the Respect for Marriage Act. The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The hearing is underway, and you can watch it live here.

Check out this article from The Washington Post.

By Dana Milbank, Published: July 18
The remarkable thing about what happened on the Senate floor Monday night was that it was utterly unremarkable.

Recently, Equality Florida's Executive Director, Nadine Smith, gave a talk at TEDxTampaBay. Nadine discussed the "Refuse to Lie" campaign and the importance of living authentically. Check out this incredibly moving video that perfectly touches on what so many of us experience every day.