Today, April 22, marks Earth Day, a day when we celebrate the Earth and also rally around finding solutions to climate change and environmental injustice. Started in the 1970s partly in response to Silent Spring, a book written by lesbian author and marine biologist Rachel Carson, the day has been part of a movement that has grown more aptly in tune with today’s intersectional movements. At first glance, environmental injustice may not seem like an LGBTQ issue, but in fact, queer folks have a...
When Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed last week as the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, many of us rejoiced as we saw yet another crack in the symbolic glass ceiling that has historically kept women, especially Black women and women of color, from reaching our full potential. This week is Black Maternal Health Week, and while I am still elated for what Judge Jackson represents, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the barriers and inequities that still...
As a young, trans woman, I’m very honored to be able to share this message with you today on Transgender Day of Visibility. This year more than ever it is important that we use whatever voice and presence we can muster to lift up those who need the most help and support in our community. I am proud to recognize my trans and nonbinary siblings for standing up firmly against the wave of fearmongering and repression that is sweeping across so many states in the US. For example, just this past...
On March 30, 2022, NCLR, with our colleagues at Kaplan, Hecker & Fink LLP, filed a new lawsuit challenging Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” legislation, which Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law on March 28. Along with several students, parents, and teachers, we represent Equality Florida, which has over 400,000 members, and Family Equality, the nation’s leading group for LGBTQ-parent families and their children. The new Florida law seeks to create a climate of fear,...
This week, NCLR announced our new Senior Youth Policy Counsel (he/she/they and prefix Mx.) and we could not be more excited that the person filling this role is our own Danielle (Danny) King! Since our founding 45 years ago, NCLR has been at the forefront of protecting and advocating on behalf of LGBTQ youth, a value we cemented with the historic and groundbreaking creation of our Youth project in 1993. Danny’s new role with NCLR will continue this legacy of supporting the most...
This past Saturday marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the historic U.S. Supreme Court case recognizing the right to abortion as a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution in all 50 states. Since that historic day in 1973, we have continued to see relentless attacks on abortion access that chip away at the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy. These attacks have escalated dramatically in the last few last years, most recently culminating in the passage of SB 8 in...
Today we honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His vision and courage defined the Civil Rights Movement and fundamentally shaped the fight for racial and economic justice. His vision continues to serve as a guide for all other social justice movements to this day. And, as far as we’ve come to Dr. King’s “beloved community,” even in 2022, there are still so many obvious ways that we continue to fall short. In 1964, Dr. King called poverty an “evil that plagues the...
In 2021, NCLR held a series of conversations about pressing issues in the LGBTQ movement with staff talking about what NCLR is doing to respond and what we see in the future. You can find out about those series of discussions (Forgotten LGBTQ Youth, 1st Amendment Rights vs. Anti-Discrimination, and The Modern Family) and watch full recordings of the conversations below. Forgotten LGBTQ YouthFirst Amendment Rights vs. Anti-DiscriminationModern Family PAST IN CONVERSATION DISCUSSIONS Forgotten...
At NCLR, we have been fighting to end the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy even before we launched our Born Perfect campaign in 2014. Since then, we have passed laws in 20 states and more than 100 localities protecting LGBTQ youth from this harmful practice. That’s why we are excited today to present Bobby’s Big Problem, co-created by Born Perfect and Enfranchisement Productions. This short film includes an all-star cast including Patton Oswalt, D’Arcy...
NCLR’s Federal Policy Director Julie Gonen penned a powerful OpEd for the Los Angeles Blade about the perils of Texas’ recently enact SB 8 anti-abortion bill – and why the future it may usher in should terrify our LGBTQ community as a whole. Give it a read and share widely. SB 8 puts us one step closer to life in Gilead – and that should worry every LGBTQ person SB 8 should alarm the LGBTQ community as we also find ourselves the targets of religious and right-wing ideologues I...
Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. We’re changing Florida through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building — so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Come Out With Pride
The mission of Come Out With Pride Orlando is to cultivate visibility, authenticity, and acceptance by curating inclusive experiences that celebrate and embody the spirit of queer resilience.
Orlando Youth Alliance
Since 1990, the Orlando Youth Alliance (OYA) has been providing safe spaces for LGBTQ youth in Central Florida. Their coverage area includes metro Orlando, but also spans out to include the rural counties surrounding Orlando. In 2008, they created a chapter in Lakeland, Florida (Polk County). OYA oversees the highly successful Polk Pride Festival which attracts over 6,000 people annually.
Southern Legal Counsel
Southern Legal Counsel, Inc. (SLC) is a Florida statewide not-for-profit public interest law firm that is committed to the ideal of equal justice for all and the attainment of basic human and civil rights. SLC developed its Transgender Rights Initiative to fill a gap in access to justice for Florida’s transgender community, including in areas such as access to legal authenticity, access to safe and affirming school and work environments, access to medically necessary healthcare, and more. SLC’s Trans Rights Initiative protects the rights of Florida’s LGBTQ+ community utilizing federal impact litigation, policy advocacy, and individual representation. SLC has litigated many of the recent federal cases against the state of Florida, and has successfully overturned the Medicaid Ban on gender-affirming care (Dekker v. Weida); permanently enjoined the medical care bans for minors and restrictions for adults created by SB 254 and the Boards of Medicine rules (Doe v. Ladapo); preliminarily enjoined the pronoun ban for transgender teachers in Florida’s public schools; and more.
Joy Metropolitan Community Church
Joy MCC is the spiritual home to a multi-cultural, inclusive, and diverse community of faith. We are rooted in the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus. We experience a vibrant spirituality that is positive, practical, and progressive. We’ve always been a totally open and affirming church. We welcome the full participation of people of allraces, cultures, ages, abilities, spiritual backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. We share a deep sense of community where our diversity is celebrated, not merely tolerated.
ACLU of Florida
The mission of the ACLU of Florida is to protect, defend, strengthen, and promote the constitutional rights and liberties of all people in Florida. We envision a fair and just Florida, where all people are free, equal under the law, and live with dignity.
QLatinx
QLatinx is a grassroots community-led racial, social, and gender justice organization dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of Orlando’s LGBTQ+ Latinx community. QLatinx is committed to building a supportive infrastructure, addressing inequity, promoting inclusionary QLatinx aims to deepen the political consciousness of LGBTQ+ and Latinx individuals about intersections and complexities of institutional, interpersonal, and internalized forms of oppression. This work includes empowering local LGBTQ+ leadership to become cognizant of gender and racial inequities with the LGBTQ+ community and in relation to cisgender populations.
Community Spring
Community Spring is a grassroots organization dedicated to economic justice. The two pillars of our work are income and power: income to meet people’s needs and power to reshape the systems that keep them down.
Pride Community Center of North Central Florida
The Pride Community Center of North Central Florida offers safe spaces, resources, services and events to foster and enhance the well-being and visibility of LGBTQ+ people in North Central Florida. Visibility changes minds. Here in North Central Florida, LGBTQ+ people deserve access to safe spaces where they can not only express themselves, but where they can also be a part of a community. Come join us.
