Florida Agenda

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Shortly after he was sworn in as Florida’s 45th governor, Rick Scott issued an executive order addressing diversity in state government.

A request for the order had been made last month by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.

The Council, a nonprofit organization founded in 1988, is dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

In a Dec. 6 letter to the Scott Transition Team, Council President Rand Hoch requested that the incoming governor’s first executive order address equal opportunity in state employment.
“By doing so on the day you take office, you will assure all Floridians that the State of Florida is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in state government to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or marital status,” Hoch wrote.

While the council’s request was for an inclusive order, Scott instead issued Executive Order 11-04, which narrowly limited Florida’s non-discrimination policies to address only race, gender, creed, color and national origin.

“Gov. Scott’s limited view of diversity is very discouraging,” said Hoch. “Gov. Scott did not even include all of the classifications listed in the Florida Civil Rights Act — let alone sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status. In addition, Florida courts have also determined that pregnancy is a protected classification.

Photo: Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott (above). PBHRC believes Scott more receptive than Crist on LGBT issues

By BOB KECSKEMETY

The Palm Beach Human Rights Council has sent a letter to Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott requesting that his first executive order as governor be to address equal opportunity in state employment.

This is not the first time the West Palm Beach-based organization has made this request to a Florida Governor. Their requests for the same issue remained ignored by outgoing  Gov. Charlie Crist. Rand Hock, PBHRC president, remains optimistic that the incoming governor will be more receptive.

The governor could guarantee equal opportunity to all state employees, regardless of sexual orientation, with a simple executive order. PBHRC sent the text of the proposed executive order to Scott in a Dec. 6 letter addressing the issue.

The Council’s proposed executive order would require all state agencies to “recruit, appoint, train, evaluate and promote state personnel on the basis of merit and fitness, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or marital status or other non-job-related factors.”

“Unlike Charlie Crist, who spent much of his adult life in the political arena, Rick Scott has spent years in the corporate world,” said Hoch in a written statement. “As he takes over as Florida’s chief executive officer, Rick Scott can take this opportunity to assure all state employees that under his leadership, they will be evaluated based on the basis of merit and fitness, as opposed to any non-job related factors.”

Similar executive orders have been issued by the governors of 30 states including: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Optimism is one thing, but if Scott’s answers, or lack t hereof, during t

he election debates are any indication of what he will do for the LGBT community, the PCHRC could be waiting a long time for Scott to take action, if he ever does. In a debate with Sink, Scott refused to directly answer the question of whether he thought homosexuality was immoral, rather saying he believes “marriage is between and man and a woman” and that children are better off “if they are raised by a married couple.” He continued by saying, “We know that, and studies show that, children raised in a traditional family do better in school and in life.”

Scott has also blasted Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum for supporting “pro-homosexual rights candidate Rudy Giuliani for president in 2008.