Equality Florida is a political advocacy group that advocates for civil rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) residents of the U.S. state of Florida. Equality Florida consists of two organizations - Equality Florida Institute, Inc., the 501(c)(3) educational charity and Equality Florida Action, Inc., the 501(c)(4) advocacy organization. Together with over 300,000 supporters, these organizations form the largest civil rights organization dedicated to Florida's LGBTQ community.
In addition to their work in Tallahassee, they work with local partners, providing resources and helping to build coalitions that have passed pro-equality laws across the state. Equality Florida provides leadership trainings, volunteer opportunities, and sponsorship opportunities. Equality Florida has been ranked a top-rated non-profit by Great Nonprofits, Guidestar, and Charity Navigator.
History
Equality Florida Institute, Inc. formed in 1997 by Nadine Smith and Stratton Pollitzer as Governor Jeb Bush took office and Florida's state government made a hard turn to the right. Smith, a former journalist, served as one of the four national co-chairs on the 1993 March on Washington. Smith also led the movement to enact the St. Petersburg Human Rights Ordinance which was passed in January 2002.
Equality Florida Action, Inc. was formed in 2014 and along with its predecessor organization Equality Florida Inc., (founded in 1999) has advocated for pro-LGBTQ legislation and defeated every piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation filed in Tallahassee since its inception. They also played a key leadership role in overturning Florida's ban on gay and lesbian adoption, which was struck down in 2015 and repealed in 2015. In 2014, The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Florida combined to file a lawsuit to challenge Florida's 2008 marriage ban for same-sex couples. On January 5, 2015, a Miami-Dade Circuit Judge lifted the ban that allowed for marriage equality.
Programs
Equality Florida's Transgender Inclusion Initiative, known as TransAction Florida, exists to grow grassroots engagement and influence state public policy. It has now grown to 80 members since its inception in 2014. The charity's efforts have expanded from conducting workshops with major Florida employers to training media, law enforcement, health care and the faith community. TransAction has also been highly engaged in public policy issues, supporting fully inclusive human rights ordinances across Florida and Equality Florida's statewide non-discrimination bill, the Florida Competitive Workforce Act. Equality Means Business was formed by Equality Florida to spotlight major employers in Florida that have adopted comprehensive LGBTQ non-discrimination policies. The program encourages and provides resources to Florida employers who have respect for diversity as a core value.
Equality Florida's Safe and Healthy Schools Program was created in the aftermath of the Pulse massacre in Orlando in an effort to counter anti-LGBTQ animosity. The program aims to create a culture of inclusion while countering negative environments for LGBTQ students. The goal of the program is for each of Florida's 67 school districts to adopt comprehensive, nationally recognized best practices for meeting the needs of LGBTQ students and in doing so build a model that can be replicated nationwide. As of Fall 2018, the program has worked with over 60 school districts across the state, and has delivered LGBTQ+ sensitivity and best practice professional development training to over 12,000 school officials.