| . |
“Even as cities and companies across our state adopt policies banning anti-gay
and gender identity-based discrimination, Florida law fails to provide statewide
protection to LGBT Floridians against workplace discrimination,” Mallory Wells,
Public Policy Director for Equality Florida, said in a statement upon the
introduction of HB 391. “No one should lose their job because of who they are.”
Just this month, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) filed
a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations after an Orlando
McDonald’s refused to hire a transgender woman, 17-year old Zikerria Bellamy.
A manager at the store left Bellamy a voicemail stating, “We do not hire
faggots.”
The manager was fired, and a spokeswoman for the restaurant told the Orlando
Sentinel that the employee had “acted outside the scope of his authority and
was not responsible.” The spokeswoman added that McDonald’s “has a zero
tolerance policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment in the restaurant.”
The manager’s actions were reprehensible, yet legal in Florida. GLBT Floridians
need to know that they can be sacked for who they are, regardless of their
actions. Skidmore’s bill faces an uphill ride in Florida’s Republican-controlled
legislature. But with more than one million GLBT Floridians, as estimated by the
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, it’s incumbent upon our own community to
encourage support for Skidmore’s bill. There should be strength in numbers, and
it’s our own fault if we don’t use those numbers to our benefit.
Today, GLBT Floridians can be fired for who they are. It’s time Florida’s elected
representatives in Tallahassee know they’ll be fired by the voters in the next
election for their inaction on issues that impact our residents.
and gender identity-based discrimination, Florida law fails to provide statewide
protection to LGBT Floridians against workplace discrimination,” Mallory Wells,
Public Policy Director for Equality Florida, said in a statement upon the
introduction of HB 391. “No one should lose their job because of who they are.”
Just this month, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) filed
a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations after an Orlando
McDonald’s refused to hire a transgender woman, 17-year old Zikerria Bellamy.
A manager at the store left Bellamy a voicemail stating, “We do not hire
faggots.”
The manager was fired, and a spokeswoman for the restaurant told the Orlando
Sentinel that the employee had “acted outside the scope of his authority and
was not responsible.” The spokeswoman added that McDonald’s “has a zero
tolerance policy prohibiting discrimination or harassment in the restaurant.”
The manager’s actions were reprehensible, yet legal in Florida. GLBT Floridians
need to know that they can be sacked for who they are, regardless of their
actions. Skidmore’s bill faces an uphill ride in Florida’s Republican-controlled
legislature. But with more than one million GLBT Floridians, as estimated by the
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, it’s incumbent upon our own community to
encourage support for Skidmore’s bill. There should be strength in numbers, and
it’s our own fault if we don’t use those numbers to our benefit.
Today, GLBT Floridians can be fired for who they are. It’s time Florida’s elected
representatives in Tallahassee know they’ll be fired by the voters in the next
election for their inaction on issues that impact our residents.
www.ambiente.us DECEMBER | DICIEMBRE 2009
OpEd |Florida's Elected Leaders can save your job
By Stephen Gaskill
The GLBT community has achieved a few notable milestones lately. Anise Parker
has just been elected mayor of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. Parker
has been the city’s controller and never hid her sexual orientation during any of
her seven consecutive successful campaigns in that city. Closer to home, St.
Petersburg voters elected Steve Kornell as that city’s first openly-gay
Councilmember last month. And in Broward, the county’s first openly-gay
Commissioner, Ken Keechl, was selected by his colleagues to serve as County
Mayor for the next year.
Small steps, to be sure, but important ones nonetheless. Visibility on every level
is key as we attempt to overcome entrenched opposition to our full equality.
Having openly gay and lesbian elected officials ensures a voice in policy and
spending decisions that ultimately govern the way government works.
And these local victories can achieve what we’re unable to – yet, anyway – at
the national level. The list of GLBT legislative goals in Washington is long, and
very few are being met. The legislative process is always one of give and take,
often a frustrating game of hurry up and
wait. Unfortunately, we’ve been waiting
way too long for action at the federal level
while localities move forward with equality
initiatives showing what can be done.
OpEd |Florida's Elected Leaders can save your job
By Stephen Gaskill
The GLBT community has achieved a few notable milestones lately. Anise Parker
has just been elected mayor of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. Parker
has been the city’s controller and never hid her sexual orientation during any of
her seven consecutive successful campaigns in that city. Closer to home, St.
Petersburg voters elected Steve Kornell as that city’s first openly-gay
Councilmember last month. And in Broward, the county’s first openly-gay
Commissioner, Ken Keechl, was selected by his colleagues to serve as County
Mayor for the next year.
Small steps, to be sure, but important ones nonetheless. Visibility on every level
is key as we attempt to overcome entrenched opposition to our full equality.
Having openly gay and lesbian elected officials ensures a voice in policy and
spending decisions that ultimately govern the way government works.
And these local victories can achieve what we’re unable to – yet, anyway – at
the national level. The list of GLBT legislative goals in Washington is long, and
very few are being met. The legislative process is always one of give and take,
often a frustrating game of hurry up and
wait. Unfortunately, we’ve been waiting
way too long for action at the federal level
while localities move forward with equality
initiatives showing what can be done.
| . |
| . |
| . |
| . AMBIENTE ONLINE STORE |
LGBT/Latino/Hispanic Civil Rights unitycoalition.org |
Fresh-Squeezed Paradise MIAMI RIVER INN miamiriverinn.com |
CLICK to Shop |
Custom Search
Wine Parties & Unique Catering |
| . 70's Inspired Purses GLOSSgear.com |
Beyond the biggest items stacking up on the GLBT equality scorecard – repealing
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- a wide
range of issues are in the wings, from major legislative efforts like passing the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to stroke-of-the-pen initiatives the
White House could perform tomorrow, like issuing an executive order to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in the federal civilian
workforce or banning federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Here in Florida, jockeying is already beginning on initiatives to be debated in the
2010 legislative session. Perhaps one of the most important bills for Florida’s
sizable GLBT community is the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which would
add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the state civil rights
bill that bans discrimination in housing, employment and public
accommodations. Sponsored by Rep. Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton), House Bill
391 is in effect a Florida version of ENDA. A Senate version will be introduced by
Sen. Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach), who is running for Attorney General.
Florida’s GLBT and equality organizations are backing the bill, including
Organizations United Together (OUT) Advocacy Network, Florida GLBT
Democratic Caucus, ACLU of Florida, the Anti-Defamation League, Palm Beach
Human Rights Council, SAVE Dade, and Equality Florida, as well as other GLBT and
allied organizations throughout the state.
A growing number of municipalities in Florida have added sexual orientation
and/or gender identity and expression to their local civil rights ordinances,
although there is no statewide protection.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) -- a wide
range of issues are in the wings, from major legislative efforts like passing the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to stroke-of-the-pen initiatives the
White House could perform tomorrow, like issuing an executive order to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in the federal civilian
workforce or banning federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Here in Florida, jockeying is already beginning on initiatives to be debated in the
2010 legislative session. Perhaps one of the most important bills for Florida’s
sizable GLBT community is the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which would
add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the state civil rights
bill that bans discrimination in housing, employment and public
accommodations. Sponsored by Rep. Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton), House Bill
391 is in effect a Florida version of ENDA. A Senate version will be introduced by
Sen. Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach), who is running for Attorney General.
Florida’s GLBT and equality organizations are backing the bill, including
Organizations United Together (OUT) Advocacy Network, Florida GLBT
Democratic Caucus, ACLU of Florida, the Anti-Defamation League, Palm Beach
Human Rights Council, SAVE Dade, and Equality Florida, as well as other GLBT and
allied organizations throughout the state.
A growing number of municipalities in Florida have added sexual orientation
and/or gender identity and expression to their local civil rights ordinances,
although there is no statewide protection.
Make the Florida Competitive Workforce Act a reality. Join one of these
statewide organizations to make your voice heard:
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus www.floridaGLBTdemocrats.org
Organizations United Together (OUT) www.outfl.org
Equality Florida www.eqfl.org
ACLU of Florida www.aclufl.org
Anti-Defamation League www.regions.adl.org/florida/
CLICK HERE for more Stephen Gaskill
Copyright 2009 © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
statewide organizations to make your voice heard:
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus www.floridaGLBTdemocrats.org
Organizations United Together (OUT) www.outfl.org
Equality Florida www.eqfl.org
ACLU of Florida www.aclufl.org
Anti-Defamation League www.regions.adl.org/florida/
CLICK HERE for more Stephen Gaskill
Copyright 2009 © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
| . |