News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, (March 1, 2011)

Contact:

Stratton Pollitzer, Deputy Director, (954) 682-6094

Brian Winfield, Communications Director, (727) 488-7799

Broward Schools Add Gender Identity to

Non-discrimination Policy

(FT. LAUDERDALE) Equality Florida commends the Broward County School Board for its vote today to add "gender identity and expression" to the district's non-discrimination policy.

“Broward has a long history of protecting LGBT students and was one of the first schools in the state to add gender identity and expression to its anti-bullying policy,” said Stratton Pollitzer, deputy director for Equality Florida.  “Today's expansion of the non-discrimination policy means that students, faculty and all school district employees will be protected from any form of gender-based discrimination.

For over a year, Equality Florida has been part of a Broward-based coalition, led by Broward Schools Diversity Committee member Michael Emanuel Rajner to expand gender identity and expression protections. Broward County School Board member Jennifer Gottlieb provided leadership on the board to shepherd in the new policy.

With 256,000 students, Broward is now the largest school district in Florida to add "gender identity and expression" to its non-discrimination protections. When the Jeffrey Johnston Act passed in 2008 to prohibit bullying statewide, Broward's existing anti-bullying policy served as the sample policy for districts across the state.

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

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