Florida Proposes New Firearm Carry Bill

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner has announced the filing of HB 543 a bill that will remove training & permitting requirements for concealed carry of firearms in the state. The move comes nearly 7 years after 49 mostly LGBTQ people of color were murdered in the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando & just a few weeks before the 5th anniversary of the murder of 17 people at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland with firearm-related injuries being the #1 cause of death for American children. Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida Press Secretary & Pulse Nightclub Survivor stated, "Let's be clear-eyed: the filing of permitless carry in Florida is an endorsement of violent hate & an insult to those who have had loved ones stolen in America's gun violence epidemic. LGBTQ Floridians know all too well that this country's obsession with easy access to deadly weapons can take discrimination & bigotry & make it lethal. Gun violence is not abstract or hypothetical -- it is stealing our loved ones. Instead of stripping away commonsense safety precautions like background checks & proficiency training, the legislature should be focused on ways to keep Floridians safe. If passed, permitless carry will cost lives." Since the attack at Pulse Nightclub Equality Florida publicly pledged to support common sense gun safety reforms with a demonstrated record of reducing gun deaths. In 2021 marking 5 years since the tragedy Equality Florida joined Everytown For Gun Safety, the Human Rights Campaign & the Equality Federation in producing the Remembering & Honoring Pulse report a comprehensive overview of the impacts of gun violence on LGBTQ people in America.

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