Statement from Equality Florida on Homophobic Attacks Following School Field Trip to Rosie’s in Wilton Manors
Statement from Joe Saunders, Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director, on Homophobic Attacks Following School Field Trip to Rosie’s in Wilton Manors
"Rosie’s is a neighborhood restaurant and community institution that has been a staple of the South Florida community for over 19 years. Housed in the center of the City of Wilton Manors, this community restaurant specializes in award-winning burgers and American comfort food and has been a gathering place for local nonprofits, community events, and civic engagement since its founding.
Anyone who’s visited Wilton Manors knows that your trip isn’t complete until you’ve tried one of Rosie’s famous burgers. This is a community institution thriving in the heart of a city with one of the U.S.’s largest LGBTQ populations. Characterizing a lunch field trip by Wilton Manors Elementary School students to this landmark neighborhood restaurant as if it was a trip to a nightclub is an ugly appeal to anti-LGBTQ fear and bigotry. We refuse to allow a disinformation campaign, fueled by lies and political cheap shots, to attack a business known for its philanthropy and generosity and a school anchored in the community that business serves. This manufactured moral panic is the worst kind of political theater.
Wilton Manors Elementary has a long history of creating an educational space where all students are welcome and have every opportunity to learn. Those are values we applaud."