HR 583, a bill nicknamed the “Bathroom Surveillance Bill,” that would essentially prohibit transgender people from entering sex-segregated facilities like bathrooms, is working its way through the Florida legislature. This nonsensical bill passed a House committee last week, and will have its next hearing on March 24.
Meanwhile, the Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that would ban LGBT discrimination (backed by a bipartisan group of legislators and major businesses) has yet to receive a single committee hearing.
Those are two of the big issues that were discussed last week in Orlando at TransAction’s Transgender Allies Summit, put together by Equality Florida.
Our friend, “Boca” Britany Somers went to the summit, and filed this report:
Driving back (in the rental I couldn’t afford), yesterday’s events can be assessed on two levels of emotion. Elated Optimism, and despair.
Optimism over the tremendous amount of Human Rights Groups based in the north part of this state, and (of all things) the mounting corporate opposition against these bills. Namely, NBC/Universal, Symantec and Lockheed Martin to name a few.
Joe Saunders was brilliant! Explaining that the real motivation behind these bills (in 20 states) is in retaliation to Marriage Equality. An attrition of rights being chipped away state by state. (Like I said on your show a few weeks back…sometimes I’m smart.)
The money train leads back to the DeVoss family who owns Amway and the Orlando Magic.
Chevara Orrin of WeAreStraightAllies.com (out of Jax) is a dynamic speaker who just got back from the Pettus Bridge and her story was emotionally moving. She really flipped my wig!
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer stopped by to pledge his support. He was wearing a big blue bowtie, but it did not spin or squirt water.
The good news is, these bills may die thanks to Trans-Men (Female to Male). Ignorant Republicans apparently think all transgenders are RuPaul – who is not transgender.
TV spots will be launched featuring a guy the size of a linebacker in the Ladies Room saying; “Frank Artiles said I’m supposed to be in here”.
As you may have already guessed, the despair set in with the knowledge of what we have down here. From the prestigious Palm Beaches to the Keys, we have 5 million people picking their ass and holding their balls.
That’s the world as I see it from here. Brit Somers for Radio or Not, Orlando.
So today, I was joined in studio by Brit, and together, we spoke with Gina Duncan, Equality Florida’s Transgender Inclusion Director, about what’s happening in Tallahassee and the ways we can all get involved.
Next week, if you can get there, you can participate in Lobby Days. And when the Bathroom Surveillance Bill has its next hearing on the morning of March 24th, they’re hoping lots of people will show up to lend support to kill this heinous, bigoted bill.
And if you’d like to help our own Boca Brit get back up to Tallahassee for either of those events, please consider a donation. She’s not set up to take donations herself, so I’ll gladly act as go-between. Just visit our support page. You can donate to her via paypal or send a check (payable to Nicole Sandler) – just write in the note pages or memo section of the check that it’s for Boca, and I’ll make sure it gets to her.
I don’t know about you, but after this week, I needed a weekend! We end each week and segue into the weekend with a musical treat from my music radio past. Today, we went back to July 8, 1996 for a session with Richard Thompson.
We’ll be back to take on a whole new week Monday, radio or not!
