Florida Agenda

Elaine Lancaster to  Appear at Bongos

MIAMI, FL – The fabulous Elaine Lancaster can now be seen every Monday night hosting Bongos Cuban Café and Sky Lounge at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 5733 Seminole Way in Hollywood. Elaine will present “Café Society” every Monday at 8 p.m., with a live musical performance by Maryel Epps and musical arrangements by D.J.Smeejay. For reservations, call (954) 791-3040 or visit www.bongoscubancafe.com.

Judy Shepherd Back Pack Drive

WILTON MANORS, FL – Everyone is asked to help out with the annual Back to School Back Pack Drive, Thursday, August 11th, at the Pride Center at Equality Park from 5:30 to 7 p.m. At this event, they will be collecting back packs and school supplies. While you are not required to bring donations to attend, you are strongly encouraged to bring supplies or contribute a minimum of $10 to be used for additional supplies.

The Back Pack Drive is being presented by the Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange and is sponsored by Metro Media Works, Varsity Club, Women in Network and Fast Printz. The completed back packs will benefit students of the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.

MDGLCC Spotlight Mixer

MIAMI BEACH, FL – The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend its Spotlight Networker Mixer on Thursday, August 24th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Rooftop of the Gansevoort Hotel (2377 Collins Avenue) in Miami Beach. Mingle and network with MDGLCC members and guests.  Free hors d’oeuvres and vodka drinks. Cash bar. Drawing for great prizes.  Complimentary admission for MDGLCC members and $10 general admission. Valet parking $20 or metered street parking in surrounding area. Please register at mdglcc@bellsouth.net or call (305) 673-4440.

Stonewall Library Mourns Loss of Librarian

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Stonewall National Museum and Archives is mourning the loss of their beloved librarian and friend, Susanne Phelps. Phelps, who served as Stonewall’s chief librarian, passed away on Friday, August 5th. She was loved and admired by many people connected with Stonewall and the community’s thoughts and prayers go out to her partner, Karen, as well as her family and friends. A memorial service and reception for Susanne Phelps will be held on Saturday, August 20th, at 3 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 S.E. 9 Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. In lieu of flowers, everyone is being asked to consider a donation in Phelps’ name to a nonprofit animal, environmental or other charity of your choice. The Stonewall National Museum and Archives will create a Library Fund in Phelps’ honor to maintain the ongoing acquisition and collection of books.

Stratton Pollitzer to be Honored by Harvey Milk Foundation

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – Stratton Pollitzer of Equality Florida will be honored by the Harvey Milk Foundation on August 28 in Miami Beach. According to the Harvey Milk Foundation, Pollitzer is being honored in recognition of his outstanding leadership through tireless work on behalf of Florida LGBT community. The award is presented to a select group of people who have demonstrated outstanding leadership. Past recipients have been Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Gianfranco Fini, President of Italy’s Lower House of Parliament.

The award presentation will take place on Sunday, August 28, at Yuca, 501 Lincoln Road on Miami Beach.

Tickets are $45 and include a fixed menu 3-course brunch with unlimited specialty drinks, tax and tip.

By STRATTON POLLITZER,

DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR EQUALITY FLORIDA

What a year! 2010 has been the most historically significant year yet in the fight for full equality for Florida’s LGBT community. And while a disappointing election season means we face some new challenges, as long as our community keeps fighting, we will continue to carve out victories in 2011.

Topping the list this year was the overturning of Florida’s notorious ban on gay and lesbian adoption. On Sept. 22 the Third District Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that there is “no rational basis to prohibit gay parents from adopting” and that the anti-gay adoption ban was unconstitutional.

While the ACLU fought an outstanding legal battle in the courtroom, Equality Florida has worked in the legislature and the court of public opinion for the past seven years to shift hearts and minds in favor of ending the ban. At our urging, Gov. Crist and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) quit enforcing the ban immediately following the court ruling and did not appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which would have delayed a final decision for years and where the outcome was uncertain.

The day after the ruling came down, DCF sent an agency-wide memo instructing staff that, “You are no longer to ask prospective adoptive parents whether they are heterosexual, gay or lesbian, nor are you to use this as a factor in determining the suitability of applicants to adopt. Focus your attention on the quality of parenting that prospective adoptive parents would provide, and their commitment to and love for our children.”

This year we continued to win local victories, including adding sexual orientation and gender identity/ expression protections to Orange County’s (Orlando) and Leon County’s (Tallahassee) human rights ordinances. With 5.5 million people protected, Florida ranks fifth in the country. And we expanded protections for LGBT students with a new anti-bullying policy in Hillsborough County (Tampa). With 1.1 million students protected, Florida ranks sixth in the nation.

We also continued to gain recognition for our families with domestic partnership victories in St. Petersburg and Kissimmee. One in three Floridians now has access to DP benefits. And Florida leads the south with 25 openly LGBT elected officials, including Craig Lowe, who we helped elect as the first openlygay mayor in north Florida last April.

And although the November elections were disappointing, we won the most important contest on this year’s ballot – fair districts. Record majorities of Floridians now stand with us on nearly every issue we fight for. But the reason this support has not always translated into victories at the ballot box is that Florida’s voting districts are drawn to dramatically favor the party in power, which leads to extremism. Amendments 5 & 6 will forever change how districts are drawn in Florida and will create a more balanced government that actually reflects where our state stands on LGBT issues.

TOP GOALS IN 2011 – “Keep Winning and Never Go Back”

Our top priority for 2011 is to protect the adoption victory.

The same anti-gay extremists who pushed for Florida’s anti-marriage amendment in 2008 have already announced their intention to seek a ballot measure putting this discriminatory adoption ban into our state constitution in 2012. This is not only a threat for children and families in Florida, but a victory here would embolden further measures in other states across the country.

Our years of experience in fighting the adoption ban have taught us that when people understand that this ban literally tore families apart and prevented children from achieving their dream of being adopted, they are ready to fight to keep this injustice from returning.

Victory will require a statewide grassroots effort, a strong media campaign and a volunteer army ready to engage Florida voters.

As a new and uncertain legislative session begins, our staff and volunteer teams are focused on the following priorities for 2011:

• Build bipartisan and business support for the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s civil rights law.

• Build support for stronger recognition of domestic partnerships through a statewide bill, local DP policies, and public and private employer benefits.

• Continue our 13-year record of defeating every anti-LGBT bill in Tallahassee We are at a turning point in our civil rights struggle, and full legal equality for the LGBT community is closer than it has ever been.

Our job is to hasten its arrival.

Visit www.EQFL.org and become a member today.

(Photo: Courtesy of Women for Equality Hosted by Equality Florida, photo by Vanessa Brito)

Obama issues Father’s Day Proclamation Acknowledging Gay fathers; DOJ Honors LGBT Employees

By Dmitry Rashnitsov

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith and Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer will be in attendance at Tuesday June 22^nd’s White House reception celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama invited LGBT leaders from across the nation with a focus on state organizers and youth activists.

Equality Florida leaders took part in a briefing on LGBT Equality and used the occasion to draw attention to Florida’s anti-gay adoption law- the only state with such a law in the country. An appeals court decision, expected any day, will determine whether Florida’s law is unconstitutional or whether plaintiff Martin Gill’s adopted sons will be taken away from him. The President included recognition of gay Dads in his Father’s Day proclamation.

“We intend to bring a picture of Martin Gill’s children standing in front of the White House during the Easter Egg Roll and ask President Obama to help us end the adoption ban that tears families apart and to do it before these bans become a state-by-state ballot measures,” said Smith.

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

President Obama has declared June “LGBT Pride Month,” issuing a proclamation urging Americans to “renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.”

“Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a stepfather, a grandfather, or caring guardian,” Obama said on father’s day.

A recent study published in the latest issue of the Journal of GLBT Family Studies, showed that gay fathers were more likely to leave their jobs in order to focus on parenting their children. The study examined 40 gay dad couples who received their child through surrogacy. Another difference was that gay fathers also saw their self-esteem and relationships with their extended families greatly improve when they had children. The average age of the men in the study was 41 years old with an annual household income of $270,000.

Religious and anti-gay groups were quick to react to President Obama’s proclamation.

“It is wrong to force children into a situation where they have two men modeling immoral behavior — condemned by God and all major religions — as the most important role models in their lives,” said Peter LaBarbera from Americans for Truth about Homosexuality.

Another one of the guests that was at the White House on Tuesday was Constance McMillan, the 18-year-old high school graduate from Mississippi who was not allowed to bring her girlfriend to her prom.

Even the Department of Justice is getting into the pride filled mood. Attorney General Eric Holder recently held an event honoring all LGBT employees.

“We have much to celebrate today. In the year since we last gathered, our nation – and the Justice Department – have taken steps to address some of the unique challenges faced by members of our country’s LGBT community,” said Holder in remarks at the annual DOJ LGBT Pride Month event.

DOJ Pride was founded in 1994, and flourished when Miami’s own favorite lesbian Janet Reno was Attorney General.

For more information about Equality Florida’s involvement in the White House event, visit: www.eqfl.org.