VIDEO: You're Going to Want to See This

Friends,

I just stepped out of an historic meeting with the Florida Senate
Judiciary Committee and wanted share the amazing news with our entire
Equality Florida family.

Today, for the first time ever, a committee of the Florida Senate held
a workshop on the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that would
add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" to
Florida's existing civil rights codes.

These laws ban discrimination in employment, housing and public
accommodations. However, they currently only protect people based on
race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, handicap or marital
status.

This is a breakthrough moment for a fully inclusive bill made possible
by you, Equality Florida's supporters, grassroots activist and allies.
With over a decade of relationship-building in Tallahassee, Equality
Florida is able to work with Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike
on advancing this and other pro-equality bills.

Special thanks to Sen. Dan Gelber (D) , Sen. Joe Negron (R) and Sen.
Jeff Atwater (R) for making the workshop possible. I've also asked our
communicaiton staff to share the video with you. It was an exciting
way to start the day.

-- Mallory

Equality Florida
Public Policy Director

P.S. We had a great team representing our bill today. Our speakers
included Kenneth Pratt Vice Chair of the Florida League of Cities;
Eddie G. Labrador on behalf of the Broward County Board of County
Commissioners; Jackie Watts - local business owner; attorney Jeff
Peters, and Daria Dawson of the ACLU of Florida.