It was a picture perfect evening at the beautiful and bedazzled Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center as over 200 friends, old and new, turned out in tuxedos, feather boas, rainbow bowties and sequined gowns to the Inaugural Black and White Ball of Lee County to celebrate our champions, progress, diversity and equality and to raise funds for and awareness of Equality Florida’s important work.

Equality Florida to Honor Cape Coral Mayor and Four Council Members
With Ally for Equality Award; Arlene Goldberg to Receive Voice for Equality Award

Inaugural Black & White Ball of Lee County: Saturday, December 13

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Jaclyn Smith serves as Equality Florida’s Tampa Bay Development Associate.

As a recent graduate of Florida State University, Jaclyn earned dual degrees in Music and International Affairs with a concentration in Political Science.

Today the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the state’s motion for stay of a District Court ruling that overturned the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The stay is scheduled to expire at the end of the day on January 5th, enabling same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses at that time.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans are less likely to have access to the same quality coverage as their straight counterparts.

The new health care law addresses some of these disparities and introduces reforms to prevent unfair discrimination by health insurers, but there is still much work to be done!

Meet the Interns: Steven Rodriguez Jr.
(Jacksonville Office)

1. Tell us a little about yourself...

Written by:Abraham Galvan

LGBT community leaders and allies on Sunday honored trans teen Jazz Jennings and paid tribute to late businessman Mark Haines at Equality Florida’s annual Broward Gala in Fort Lauderdale.

Hundreds attended the 12th annual gala, held this year at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Panorama Ballroom. Equality Florida raised more than $400,000 at the event, according to Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer.

Written by: Gwen Filosa

State Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed more appeals in both a federal and state case demanding the right for same-sex couples to marry, reiterating that Florida has every right to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Written by: Morgan Watkins

The Alachua County Commission has joined the city of Gainesville and other local governments in signing onto a friend-of-the-court brief filed in various marriage equality cases in Florida involving the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

The Gainesville City Commission decided to join in the amicus curiae brief in October, and the County Commission followed suit Tuesday. (The friend-of-the-court brief was included as an item on the county’s consent agenda.)