Seated in a downtown St. Petersburg coffee shop, Nadine Smith holds court at a window side table. She keeps a frenetic pace between checking e-mail on her laptop and responding to incoming text messages.
More local governments and businesses are telling their employees — gay and straight — that wedding bells don't have to ring for them to get the same benefits their married co-workers are receiving.
Marriage equality advocates hope those initiatives are creating momentum for more significant changes in Florida, which does not permit same-sex marriage and has no statewide domestic partnership registry.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, Equality Florida will host Equality Means Business, a roundtable showcasing local business VIPs who’ll discuss how workplace diversity and protection have made them, well, richer.
An interview with Equality Florida's Statewide Field Director, Michael Farmer, on FOX35 in Orlando discussing the atrocities occurring in Russia towards the LGBT community. To watch the video, click here.
We need volunteers to help us at our Get Engaged Summits. Our summits are a chance for fellow gay and lesbian couples who wish to share their stories and learn more about becoming a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state of Florida in the fight for marriage equality to join together.
Currently, we have three summits planned across the state. Don’t worry if you don’t see your area of Florida, more Get Engaged Summits are planned for later in the year.
September Summits:
GAINESVILLE- On Tuesday, August 13, the Alachua County Commission voted 4-0 to add employment, housing and public accommodation protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.
“We are thrilled Alachua County has joined the 24 other Florida cities and counties as well as 84% of the nation’s largest employers that already have these protections,” said Mallory Garner-Wells, Public Policy Director for Equality Florida. “Now, all residents of Alachua County will be protected against discrimination based on who they are.”
Many Floridians felt underwhelmed after the DOMA appeal. After all, Florida wasn’t even close to legalizing gay marriage so, nothing short of uprooting our lives and moving to California, how could this affect us? Equality Florida—the premiere gay rights organization in Florida—understood this dilemma and crafted a project as a solution: Get Engaged!.
As LGBTQ Americans across the country continue to celebrate the June 26 Supreme Court ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the immediate future of marriage equality in Florida looks bleak. Even so, a call to action is growing state-wide to bring about change.
Equality Florida is seeking a same-sex couple who wants to sue Florida for marriage equality.
Here's the news release:
After consulting with state and national legal experts on the scope of the Supreme Court decision and the impact it may have for state constitutional bans, Equality Florida is reaching out to potential plaintiffs for a lawsuit in Florida.