BREAKING: Legislators ask Florida to condemn policies that incite violence against LGBTs

Florida Senate - 2010                            (NP)    SR 2382
By Senator Sobel
                                        
1                          Senate Resolution                      
2         A resolution condemning any law, rule, or policy that
3         punishes any person based on sexual orientation or
4         HIV/AIDS status.
5
6         WHEREAS, a bill introduced on October 14, 2009, by a member
7  of Parliament in Uganda would expand penalties for homosexuality
8  to include the death penalty and requires citizens of Uganda to
9  report information about homosexuality to the police or face
10  imprisonment, and
11         WHEREAS, many countries criminalize homosexuality, and in
12  some countries, such as Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan,
13  the penalty for homosexuality includes the death penalty, and
14         WHEREAS, the United States, in seeking to promote the core
15  American principles of equality and "Life, Liberty, and the
16  pursuit of Happiness," has long championed the universality of
17  human rights, and
18         WHEREAS, religious leaders in the United States, along with
19  representatives from the Vatican and the Anglican Church, have
20  stated that laws criminalizing homosexuality are unjust, and
21         WHEREAS, the people and Government of the United States
22  recognize that such laws undermine this countrys commitment in
23  globally combating the human immunodeficiency virus infection or
24  acquired immune deficiency syndrome by stigmatizing and
25  criminalizing vulnerable communities, and
26         WHEREAS, no human being should be punished or targeted for
27  assault, intimidation, or harassment of any kind based on sexual
28  orientation, gender identity, or having the human
29  immunodeficiency virus infection or the acquired immune
30  deficiency syndrome, NOW, THEREFORE,
31
32  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
33
34         That the Florida Senate condemns any legislation, law,
35  rule, or policy that calls for the punishment, including, but
36  not limited to, life imprisonment or the death sentence, of any
37  human being who is, or is perceived to be, homosexual, bisexual,
38  or transgender, or who has acquired immune deficiency syndrome,
39  the antibody or antigen to human immunodeficiency virus, or the
40  human immunodeficiency virus infection.
41         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
42  forwarded to the President of the United States, the President
43  of the Senate of the United States, and the Speaker of the House
44  of Representatives of the United States, and the Ugandan
45  Parliament.