Florida Passes “Don’t Say Gay” Bill

The bigoted homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” bill has now passed both chambers in the Florida Legislature & is headed to Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk to be signed into law. Nadine Smith, Executive Director Equality Florida stated, “I know people are hurting right now. For eight weeks as we battled this anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tallahassee, we have faced some of the cruelest slurs meant to attack our very humanity & stigmatize our families. We’ve been called pedophiles by the Governor’s office. We’ve been called a “social experiment” & told that our existence is a danger to children. For many of us, these weeks in the legislature have been a painful reminder of the dark days of Anita Bryant & her anti-LGBTQ crusade that terrorized our state for decades. And for LGBTQ youth who have seen the headlines, spoke with their friends about this bill, or participated in walkouts, they’ve witnessed adults trying to erase their very existence. But know this: they may have won the day, but they didn’t win the fight or the future. We are preparing to battle in court to protect every student, every family that this bill aims to harm. And in upcoming elections, we have the opportunity to hold those who voted for bigotry accountable.” Unfortunately this bill is one of an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ bills across the country. It’s been over a year since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act it’s time for the Senate to follow through on the promise of this highly popular bill & ensure that all people including LGBTQ communities are protected equally under the law. Equality Florida will be hosting a virtual #FreeToSayGay Town Hall today March 9th at 6P ET to gather in community & discuss what’s next. I hope everyone can join in the conversation. Virtual Town Hall…