Florida Representatives Joined Faith Leaders to Call on Lawmakers to Pass LGBTQ Protections, Oppose Discriminatory Bills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202) 735-7123
Joey McKinnon, jmckinnon@faithinpubliclife.org, (843) 364-4403
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpublic.org, (540) 280-3393
Florida Representatives Joined Faith Leaders to Call on Lawmakers to Pass LGBTQ Protections, Oppose Discriminatory Bills
Tallahassee, Fla. – On Tuesday, March 3rd state representatives and faith leaders came together to call on Florida lawmakers to pass the Competitive Workforce Act and not go another Legislative Session without protecting LGBTQ Floridians from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.
Faith leaders also took a stand in opposition to H.B. 1059 and other measures that enable discrimination against LGBTQ youth and students. Florida prohibits discrimination on people based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or marital status, but has not joined other states in protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.
To watch a full video of the event, click here.
Rev. Joe Parramore, Faith in Public Life, Quincy, FL:
“As a faith leader, the notion that these institutions can use religious freedom as an excuse to turn people away is an abomination. This is not religious freedom, it’s merely a form of institutional discrimination designed to specifically teach a sectarian ideological agenda that has no place in our education systems.”
Rep. Jennifer Webb, H.D. 69, Gulfport, FL:
“I am very proud to be the prime co-sponsor of the Florida Competitive Workforce Act and to join with my LGBTQ+ community in pushing these issues forward year after year after year, and I promise that I am a happy warrior and I will keep doing it and I am tireless and I am happy to join you here today.”
Rep. Anna Eskamani, H.D. 47, Orlando, FL:
“It can be incredibly frustrating to see moments where our Republican colleagues call out bigotry and hate in legislative rooms, and yet when it comes to actually moving bills that would help that type of hate be squashed across the state that they don’t move these bills forward. It’s so important that we hold our colleagues accountable, that if you truly care about equality, if you want to see a state that doesn’t allow bigotry and hate to flourish then let’s pass the Competitive Workforce Act.”
Rev. Vincent Brown, JASMYN, Jacksonville, FL:
“It gets to be a big argument with these either/or options that are presented to us. But I stand here representing a congregation and a community of people that aren’t either/or, but they are both/and. There are LGBTQIA identifying Christian families who are in full support and standing up for the rights of other people.”
Rev. Phillip Baber, Sacred Revolution Ministries, Jacksonville, FL:
“I am calling on all people of faith and all people of conscience to demand that the state of Florida once and for all end the practice of allowing tax-payer dollars to fund schools that discriminate against children based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.”
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Faith in Public Life is a national network of over 50,000 clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice and the common good.