Florida Agenda

KANSAS CITY, MO – Last week, a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives dropped a bombshell on colleagues and constituents alike, announcing in a unique way his opposition to legislation sponsored by fellow GOP lawmakers—dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill—hat would ban the discussion of sexual orientation in the state’s public schools. “I [...]

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – An openly gay student who was threatened by bullies was expelled this week as a consequence of attempting his own defense by firing a stun gun. Darnell “Dynasty” Young became the target of bullies after he transferred to Arsenal Technical High School last year. The openly gay 17 year old was harassed [...]

WASHINGTON, DC – During an appearance this Sunday on “Meet the Press”, Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. said that he is “comfortable” with gay marriages, and that marriage equality would simply be extending the same rights to all Americans, regardless of the sexual identity. Speaking with NBC’s David Gregory, Biden said “I am absolutely comfortable [...]

ORLANDO — On Wednesday, prosecutors in Central Florida handed down criminal charges against 13 people for counts related to the death of Florida A&M University (FAMU) marching band member Robert Champion, who was beaten and died following a football game in November. Champion, who was gay, belonged to FAMU’s famed Marching 100, which has performed [...]

JAMESTOWN, NY – The comments of a Jamestown councilman suggesting that the community consider marketing itself as a Mecca for gay marriage has sparked a firestorm, with the official receiving calls for his resignation and even threats against his life. Councilman Greg Rabb, who also serves as the municipal body’s president, proposed during a recent [...]

HARRISBURG, PA – Last week, an openly gay candidate won a decisive Democratic primary in Philadelphia, and will now become Pennsylvania’s first openly gay member of the state’s House of Representatives. Brian Sims beat a longtime incumbent to win the Democratic nomination in a heavily Democratic legislative district. Since he faces no Republican opponent in [...]

BRIDGEPORT, OH – A gay woman who was terminated from her position as a den mother for her son’s Cub Scout troop because of her sexual identity says she will not take the offense lying down. Jennifer Tyrell of Bridgeport, Ohio, has launched a petition to overturn the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) long-standing policy [...]

WASHINGTON, DC – A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that an increasing number of Americans favor of gay marriage. At the same time, a greater number favor gun ownership rights over gun control. The poll’s authors note that both positions represent landmark shifts in public attitudes, reflecting a “small-l” libertarianism taking shape [...]

CAMP PENDLETON, CA – History was made last week when a former U.S. Navy medical corpsman proposed to his U.S. Marine boyfriend at Southern California’s Camp Pendleton, home of the 1 Marine Expeditionary Force and other important military commands. As Marine Lance Corporal Avarice Guerrero returned from a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan on April 24, [...]

WASHINGTON, DC – The White House announced last week its full support of a pair of measures that would offer federal protections against bullying to LGBT students. The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) and the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) would address anti-gay bullying and harassment and require that school initiate and enforce anti-bullying policies. On [...]