Orlando, FL – On January 8, members of Orlando for Gender Equality (OGE), gathered on the steps of Orlando City Hall to announce its “Not One Step Back,” campaign, a series of events and actions planned to kill the onslaught of anti-queer bills that have been proposed by various Florida legislators and supported by the state’s right-wing Governor Ron DeSantis.

The announcement came one day before the Florida legislative session officially began, as Florida lawmakers will try to use this session to solidify into law massive rollbacks on the LGBTQ community’s rights.

“This session is not about helping people, it’s about making queer people second-class citizens,” said OGE organizer Jacob Muldoon during the campaign launch speech. “They’re attempting to isolate trans workers while emboldening bigots. They’re trying to push queer people out of public life, and we won’t let this stand! We cannot allow this repression to continue. Not one step back!”

To date, there are 19 proposed bills that target trans people specifically and queer people in general, in a blatant attempt to force the LGBTQ community back into the shadows and strip them of their rights as citizens and residents of the state.

Four of the most egregious of the anti-LGBTQ+ bills that Orlando for Gender Equality vowed to fight against are:

-– HB 1233 (Biological Sex): This bill would ban all legal recognition of transgender identities by replacing the word “gender” with “sex” on every state ID; banning the DMV from issuing or renewing licenses to applicants if the listed sex is different from what is on the applicant’s birth certificate; and requiring all Floridians to sign an affidavit certifying the sex listed on state IDs are the same as those on their birth certificates.

-– HB 901 and SB 1120 (Display of Flags by Government Entities): This bill would ban any state and local government entities from flying flags that represent “a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.”

-– HB 599 (Gender Identity Employment Practices): This bill would make it illegal for non-profits in the state to require diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and sensitivity trainings as pertain to trans people.

-– HB 1027 (Single Sex Organizations): This bill would remove any punishments for fraternities and sororities who refuse entry to, or discriminate against, transgender people.

Outside of city hall, Orlando for Gender Equality called on all queer rights activist and allies throughout the state to join the campaign and fight against the right-wing politicians and the proposed bills.

OGE also announced an informational webinar on the several proposed bills will take place on January 17, followed by a week of action the next week and a statewide mobilization at the state capitol in February.

“We won’t stand by and allow them to relegate our communities to a status stripped of all of the rights and protections that were hard won over decades,” said Cassia Laham, an organizer with OGE. “And we will continue organizing throughout the legislative session and beyond. Join the webinar, organize an event, and join us in Tallahassee!”

The group stated that further details pertaining to the webinar, week of action and statewide mobilization are imminent.

#OrlandoFL #LGBTQ #OGE