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Equality Florida Condemns DeSantis for Defacing Pulse Memorial; Calls on Floridians to #ShowYourRainbow in Response Orlando, FL — In the dead of night, Ron DeSantis ordered part of the Pulse memorial painted over — defacing a sacred space in the heart of Orlando that honors the 49 lives stolen in one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history.

As the new school year kicks off, families have received a not-so-welcome “Back to School” letter from Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education urging parents to monitor and report teachers.

  Equality Florida Awarded $22,000 Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to Expand LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Services Sarasota, FL – Equality Florida was awarded a $22,000 grant from the McCauley-Brown Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which paved the way for a critical initiative aimed at increasing the competencies of mental health service providers for LGBTQ+ youth in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.

  Civil Rights and Parents Groups Denounce Effort to Erode Local Protections in Sarasota Public Schools Proposed changes dangerously obscure discrimination and bullying protections for all students

  Media Statement Orlando, FL — This morning, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier held an unexpected press conference in Orlando regarding transgender athletes and women’s sports. Equality Florida issued the following statement in response:

Resistance Report: Federal Edition (July) We’re back with another edition of our Federal Resistance Report! The amount of breaking news coming out of Washington, D.C. is overwhelming and exhausting by design. But remember, you’re not alone! 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.

Tracking Federal Developments Updated as of July 7, 2025

  The Supreme Court Sided with Politicians — We Stand with Trans Youth and Their Families Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s law banning doctors from providing essential health care to transgender youth. It’s a deeply disappointing decision—one that history will judge harshly. Politicians have no place in the exam room. Parents, not lawmakers, should make medical decisions for their children.

The 60 days of Florida’s legislative session have concluded. While lawmakers will have to come back in the following weeks to finalize the budget — together, we just achieved the impossible AGAIN: Every anti-LGBTQ bill filed this year has been defeated!

  BREAKING: Every Anti-LGBTQ Bill Defeated in Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session Grassroots coalition delivers a stunning blow to extremism — again

  Statement On Arrest of Transgender Woman for Using Bathroom at Florida Capitol