Resistance Report Week 1: Lives Are At Risk — Help Us Fight Back

We’ve officially entered the 60 most dangerous days in Florida: The 2026 Legislative Session.

Once again, extremist lawmakers are unleashing a slate of cruel, calculated bills — designed to censor us, surveil us, and force government intrusion into our lives. They want to ban Pride flags and erase LGBTQ visibility. They want to target the very existence of transgender people, open the door for more lawsuits for medically necessary care for transgender youth, and defund and ban local DEI initiatives altogether.

Let’s be clear about what’s really happening. These bills are smoke bombs — meant to distract and divide while Ron DeSantis and his allies in the legislature continue to ignore the real crises Floridians are facing: Lack of affordability, a housing emergency, and skyrocketing insurance costs. Instead of doing their jobs, they’re doubling down on fear and scapegoating.

This session is going to be an uphill fight. But we’ve been here before, and we know how to win. Last year, together, we defeated every single anti-LGBTQ bill. That victory proved something important: There are lawmakers in the Capitol who are tired of rubber-stamping an extremist agenda that hurts Floridians and helps no one.

There’s a lot to track. That’s why we’re bringing back our weekly Resistance Reports! Each week, we’ll be covering legislative news and ways to join the resistance, media highlights from the Equality Florida team, and critical updates from the frontlines.

They may have power, but we have people. And we’re not backing down.

Leaders in Florida’s HIV community met with leadership at the Florida Department of Health.
Pictured left to right: Dr. Paul Aron’s, former Medical Director for the FL DOH HIV Section; Jon Harris Maurer, Public Policy Director with Equality Florida; Michael Emanuel Rajner, ADAP client and advocate; David Poole, former DOH HIV Section staff on ADAP and consultant for AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Before we dive into specific bill updates, we need to address the alarming development out of Tallahassee. The Florida Department of Health has announced it will slash the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) beginning March 1st — a move that will rip away access to life-saving medication for tens of thousands of Floridians. The DeSantis administration claims these cuts are the results of a funding shortfall, yet has offered ZERO transparency about the ADAP budget or how these funds have been managed.

We are in the building demanding answers. Florida must publicly disclose how much ADAP funding has been received, how it has been spent, and why it has suddenly vanished without notice to the public. This is not just incompetence — it’s cruel, reckless, and raises another set of serious questions about the management of funds under DeSantis that were meant to help Floridians. Lives are on the line, and the devastating consequences of this decision will be felt immediately unless his administration reverses course.

Contact the Florida Department of Health now and demand transparency, accountability, and an immediate halt to these heartless cuts.

This week’s WINNERS are the incredible HIV advocates like Michael Emanuel Rajner who sprung into action this week to fight back against the Florida Department of Health’s proposed cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). In just days, these advocates met with dozens of lawmakers, testified at legislative committee hearings, and capped off the week by sitting face-to-face with Department leadership. We’re deeply grateful to Michael and the advocates stepping up to courageously share their stories and lay bare the devastating consequences these cuts would have for thousands of Floridians.

This week’s LOSER is Florida’s Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo for his lack of transparency and mismanagement of ADAP. Ladapo has built his reputation on doing DeSantis’s bidding, no matter the cost to public health or human life. Time and again, he has shown a willingness to sideline science, ignore experts, and dismiss the real-world consequences of his decisions in service of his own and DeSantis’ ambitions. Floridians deserve a Surgeon General who protects lives, not one who treats public health as collateral in a political culture war.

We will be in the Florida Capitol every single day of Florida’s 60-day session. Help keep the frontline fueled with a donation today. Every dollar counts!

Now, let’s take you through exactly what happened in Week #1, what's still coming, and how you can take action.

🚨OPPOSE: More Lawsuits for Teachers & Doctors (HB 743/SB 1010)🚨
🚨Bill hearing soon!🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Lauren Melo and Sen. Clay Yarborough

• What it does: These bills hand the Attorney General sweeping authority to investigate and sue school staff and health care providers under vague and undefined standards, intensifying Florida’s attacks on transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities. The bills weaponize state government to intimidate and punish public servants, pile new felony penalties onto care that is already prohibited, and turn Florida’s classrooms into legal minefields. Instead of protecting children or families, these bills will reduce access to healthcare for everyone, drive providers and educators out of the state, saddle taxpayers with new costs, and erode public trust.
• What happened: HB 743 has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Tuesday, January 20th from 9:30am to noon and SB 1010 has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Children, Families & Elder Affairs on Tuesday, January 20th from 9:30am to 11:30am.
• How you can help: Tell lawmakers to put families first by voting NO on HB 743 and SB 1010.

🚨OPPOSE: Lowering the Purchasing Age of Firearms (HB133)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Tyler Sirois

• What it does: Florida raised the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21 after the 2018 Parkland tragedy, as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Firearms Safety Act. The Lowering the Purchasing Age bill rolls back that promise, allowing 18-year-olds to buy and carry AR-15s and other long guns. Weakening this life-saving law dishonors the victims of Parkland and ignores the clear link between access to firearms and gun safety. Floridians were promised safer communities, but this bill moves us backward.
• What happened: HB 133 PASSED the House Floor by a 74-37 vote on Thursday, January 15th. It now heads to the Florida Senate for consideration, where no companion bill has been filed.

Important vote notes: Representative Jose Alvarez (D-Kissimmee) voted in favor of the bill. Representatives Hillary Cassel (R-Hollywood), Linda Chaney (R-St. Petersburg), Anne Gerwig (R-Greenacres), Peggy Gossett-Seidman (R-Boca Raton), Chip LaMarca (R-Lighthouse Point), and Susan Valdés (R-Tampa) voted against the bill.

• How you can help: Tell your senator to OPPOSE HB 133 if it comes up for a vote.

March For Our Lives urging lawmakers to vote no on HB 133 ahead of the House vote.

🚨OPPOSE: Abusers’ Bill of Rights (HB 289/SB 164)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Sam Greco and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: The Abusers’ Bill of Rights is a dangerous anti-abortion measure that would give abusers a new legal weapon by allowing them to sue certain people who have accessed abortion care. For survivors of domestic violence, this opens the door to intimidation, retaliation, and continued control long after abuse has occurred. The bill claims to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, as Florida law already allows lawsuits for negligence and malpractice leading to pregnancy loss. The true purpose of this bill is to scare people out of accessing and providing reproductive healthcare, no matter the cost to survivors’ safety.
• What happened: HB 289 PASSED the Florida House by a vote of 76-34 on Thursday, January 15th. It now heads to the Florida Senate for consideration.

Important vote notes: Representatives Karen Gonzales Pittman (R-Tampa), Paula Stark (R-St. Cloud), David Smith (R-Winter Springs) voted against the bill.

• How you can help: We need you to contact your Senator right away and urge them to oppose this dangerous bill.

Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer testifying against the The Abusers’ Bill of Rights legislation.

🚨 BAD BILLS TO WATCH 🤬

Pride Flag Ban Bill (HB 347/SB 426)
Sponsors: Sen. Clay Yarborough and Rep. David Borrero

• What it does: Flags have historically been used to connect communities in an exercise of free speech. The Pride Flag Ban Bill bans government buildings from raising any flag that represents a “political viewpoint,” including Pride Flags. Born largely from far-right activists protesting LGBTQ pride flags on government buildings, it attacks visibility in public spaces and classrooms for all minority groups.
• How you can help: Contact your lawmakers and tell them to oppose HB 347/SB 426.

Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work (HB 641/SB 1642)
Sponsors: Sen. Stan McClain and Rep. Rachel Plakon

• What it does: This bill enacts state regulations on pronoun use in public and certain private workplaces. It shields employees from accountability for anti-trans harassment via intentional misgendering, and prohibits the inclusion of a transgender or nonbinary gender option on any job application or related employment form. The bill also prohibits LGBTQ-related cultural competency training requirements for government workers.

Anti-Diversity In Local Government (HB 1001/SB 1134)
Sponsors: Sen. Clay Yarborough and Rep. Dean Black

• What it does: Different communities have different needs, but these bills are a state sledgehammer to stop cities and counties from “any official action” that differentiates based on race, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It would repeal any such existing programs, ban funding such programs, and threaten city and county officials with removal from office for anything vaguely labeled “diversity, equity, or inclusion.” It would effectively ban local governments from a range of actions like hosting or supporting Prides, offering LGBTQ+ cultural competency training, or recognizing contributions of Black civil rights leaders during Black History Month.

Penalizing Local Diversity and Inclusion Spending (HB 1329/SB 1566)
Sponsors: Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Rep. Yvette Benarroch

• What it does: This legislation is state overreach that fines local governments for funding programs and services addressing diverse communities’ needs by differentiating based on race, color, sex, or ethnicity, as well as any programs or services advancing “social justice” or addressing implicit bias or antiracism. It extends even beyond the Anti-Diversity in Local Government bill, threatening nondiscrimination ordinances and specialized community health programs.

The Outlawing Activism Bill (HB 1471/SB 1632)
Sponsors: Rep. Hillary Cassel and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: This bill is an outrageous escalation of state terror for disagreeing with the government. It creates a vague, new designation of “domestic terrorist organization” for organizations engaging in allegedly dangerous activities intended to “coerce” the public or influence government policy “by intimation or coercion.” Felony penalties apply for donating to, advising, or volunteering with an organization that one knows is a domestic terrorist organization or engages in such activity would constitute a felony, and for becoming a member of such organization with intent to further its allegedly illegal activity.

🏆 THE GOOD BILLS 🏆

We’re keeping up the pressure on lawmakers to support and co-sponsor these bills, and we need your help.

🏆 The Health Care Freedom Act (HB 681/SB 782) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Anna V. Eskamani and Sen. Shevrin Jones

• What it does:
  • Restores Reproductive Rights: Repeals Governor DeSantis’ 6-Week Abortion Ban, reinstating abortion access up until the start of the third trimester, in line with broader medical and legal standards.
  • Protects Medical Care For Transgender People: Eliminates restrictions on essential medical care for transgender individuals, ensuring access to treatments supported by leading medical authorities like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

🏆 Freedom to Learn Act (HB 677/SB 790)🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Angie Nixon and Sen. Tracie Davis

• What it does:
  • Safeguards Academic Freedom: Repeals provisions of the Stop WOKE Act and the “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law, protecting the right to teach honest history, discuss systemic injustices, and fully address LGBTQ topics in educational settings.
  • Promotes Inclusive Education: Allows higher education institutions to fund DEI programs and activities on campus, and requires the inclusion of LGBTQ history in public education, alongside Holocaust education, African American history, and women's contributions, and restricts book-banning practices by limiting who can raise objections to school materials to only parents of public school students.

Send a message to lawmakers urging them to support the two Freedom bills.

🏆 Johns Committee Resolution (HB 383/SB 338) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Michele Rayner and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith

• What it does: This resolution calls on the Legislature to finally acknowledge and formally apologize for its relentless targeting of civil rights leaders, academic leaders, and LGBTQ Floridians during its “John’s Committee” investigations in the 1950s and 1960s. Fueled by racist, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-communist hysteria, the Johns Committee outed, harassed, fired, and destroyed the careers and lives of hundreds of LGBTQ students, professors, and public employees. A formal apology cannot undo the harm, but it is a necessary step toward truth, accountability, and healing. Florida must reckon with its past to ensure these abuses are never repeated.

🏆 HIV Modernization Act (HB 1223/SB 76) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. RaShon Young and Sen. Shevrin Jones

• What it does: This legislation would bring Florida’s outdated HIV laws, which were adopted at the height of the epidemic, into alignment with decades of advances in HIV prevention and treatment science, ensuring HIV is treated like other STIs under state law and reducing criminal penalties for people living with HIV. Laws that criminalize living with HIV discourage testing, increase stigma, and contribute to the spread of HIV.

🏆 Hate Crimes Law Expansion (HB 1117/SB 1388) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Mitch Rosenwald and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith

• What it does: This legislation would amend Florida’s existing hate crimes law so that crimes of prejudice based on gender, gender identity, or certain forms of disability are also considered hate crimes. This is especially urgent given the rate of hate violence against the transgender community.

🏆 Eliminate Gay & Trans Panic Legal Defense (HB 317/SB 336) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Rita Harris and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith

• What it does: Eliminating the “Gay and Trans Panic Legal Defense” as a viable legal defense tool would ensure that assailants cannot escape liability for harming or killing an LGBTQ person because the assailant claims a bogus fear about the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

🏆 Repeal the Marriage Ban (HB 6019/SB 952) 🏆
Sponsors: Rep. Fentrice Driskell and Sen. Tina Polsky

• What it does: With clear court rulings and the federal Respect for Marriage Act in place, the Florida Legislature must repeal the existing marriage ban for same-sex couples that remains on our statute books by deleting outdated, patently unconstitutional statute that bans recognizing marriage equality.

Our public policy team has been reviewing hundreds of bills filed this legislative session. View our full legislative slate of priority bills Equality Florida supports and opposes.

In addition to legislative session, the Equality Florida team is tracking federal policies, gathering resources, and working with our legal and national partners to assess the impacts on LGBTQ Americans and to resist.

Here are some of the federal actions we’re monitoring that impact our community and ways to join us in the fight.

Supreme Court Oral Arguments: Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.

• On Tuesday, January 13th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia that ban transgender girls from participating in women’s and girls’ school sports. The Court will be deciding whether states can lawfully impose these types of sweeping bans. Florida passed its cruel sports ban in 2021. The outcome of the case could impact the constitutionality of Florida’s ban. We expect the Court’s decision will likely come this June 2026. If you’re interested in listening to the live stream of the oral arguments, click here.

Proposed Regulations on Transgender Health Care

• The Trump administration has proposed two new regulations that try to restrict access to health care for trans youth. These regulations are the latest in this administration’s attempts to target trans people and the families and providers who support them. These proposed rules would:
  • Block Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender-affirming care for transgender youth; and
  • Punish hospitals and providers that offer this care by threatening their ability to participate in Medicare and Medicaid altogether.
• These regulations are now open for public comments. This is our chance to push back against these dangerous proposals. Submit a comment here.

As we continue over the next 54 days, we must remember that our voices matter, our actions matter, and our movement matters.

Together, we will resist, and we will make a difference.