Orlando, FL – On Saturday, April 6, more than 20 community members gathered at The Center, a local LGBTQ community hub, for a victory party celebrating the defeat of 21 out of 22 anti-LGBTQ bills from the Florida legislature during the most recent session. The event was hosted by Orlando for Gender Equality (OGE) and HOPE CommUnity Center.

The festivities included board games, a “Pin the Pride on DeSantis” game, a protest sign-making station, as well as food and drink.

After about an hour of music, mingling and refreshments, attendees sat down to listen to speeches from local organizers. Although the main purpose of the event was to highlight and celebrate the movement’s successes this past legislative session, the speeches emphasized the necessity to use the momentum to continue to fight back against anti-LGBTQ legislation and policies. In addition to the defeats of the Trans Erasure Bill (HB 1639) and the Pride Flag Ban (HB 901), a recent settlement reversed some of the attacks resulting from the infamous Don’t Say Gay Law.

Jacob Muldoon, an organizer with OGE stated, “This is a huge success for us and our movement and this is truly showing that there is a tide-change happening. And that is because of everyone in this room. It is because of everyday queer people and their allies that have demanded that they will not go one step back. It’s because of people power that we stand here today in celebration.”

Muldoon added, “This is why Orlando for Gender Equality will be continuing our ‘Not One Step Back’ campaign by targeting the recent transphobic DMV policy change. We must not stop at just HB 1639, which we killed, and we must continue to fight not just during the legislative session. We need to take that fire and bring it to our local communities and all levels of government.”

The event concluded with an awards ceremony. HOPE CommUnity Center and OGE organizer Andrea Montanez received the award for “Grassroots Organizer of the Year” for her organizing work in the LGBTQ and immigrant rights movements. State Representative Anna Eskamani was awarded the “Legislative Champion” award for her efforts in the state house. Finally, State Representative Doug Bankson, who sponsored HB 1639, was awarded the “Biggest Loser” award.

#OrlandoFL #FL #LGBTQ #DontSayGay #OGE #HOPE

Tallahassee, FL – On Tuesday, January 30, more than 300 people rallied at the Florida Capitol building in support of Palestine and against proposed Senate Bill 470/ House Bill 465. The bill is a blatant attack on pro-Palestine students.

If passed, the bill would mandate schools report the information of pro-Palestine students to the Department of Homeland Security, could take away visas for international students studying in Florida, and would make domestic students ineligible for financial aid, scholarships, and grants.

Despite continued attacks on the peoples’ movements in Florida, hundreds of people from every major city in the state mobilized to Tallahassee to fight against this bill. The mobilization was called by Students for a Democratic Society’s three Florida chapters: Florida State University (FSU), University of North Florida (UNF), and Tampa Bay.

Tavyan Dorsey, vice president of FSU SDS, opened the event with a speech stating, “The Florida legislature claims to stand for freedom but wants to steal education from students who demand an end to genocide. This past Friday, we learned that FSU removed our [SDS’s] status as a student organization on campus. Zionists see our solidarity with Palestine, which is why they are resorting to political repression and this cowardly legislation!”

Jacob Muldoon, founder of Orlando for Gender Equality, drew the link between the LGBTQ rights movement and the movement for a free Palestine: “Attacks on Pro-Palestine students and anti-LGBTQ-plus laws, like ‘Don’t Say Gay’, are a part of an all-out attack on our education system. They want to ban the use of pronouns and censor the voices of students across the state.”

Sara Tayiba, a Palestinian organizer with the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, said, “What are considered boundaries of modern day Israel has separated and divided my family for 75 years.” She went on to talk about how DeSantis and Jacksonville politicians hypocritically claim supporting Palestine is anti-Semitic while doing nothing about nazis rallying openly in Jacksonville.

Several other organizations were represented at the event, such as Florida Palestine Network, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Florida Student Power, and the Community Action Committees of Tallahassee, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville.

After speeches from the organizations, attendees took to the streets and marched around Capitol Hill, passing the Historic Capitol and Florida Supreme Court buildings. The streets echoed with chants of “Israel bombs, USA pays!” and “Stop the siege on Gaza now! End the occupation now!” As marchers passed the senate and house office buildings, representatives and staffers could be seen looking out their windows at the crowd below.

Delilah Pierre, President of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, closed the event with a powerful message: “They can pass whatever legislation they want, because when the people unite, we can never be defeated. We won’t stop organizing until we end U.S. aid to Israel and Palestine is free!”

#TallahasseeFL #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #SDS #OGE #TCAC #Feature

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

Orlando, FL – Hundreds of people converged on Orlando City Hall on October 7, for the National March to Protect Trans Youth. Organizers from all over the country – including states as far as California, Louisiana, Montana and Connecticut – gathered to oppose Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on LGBTQ people.

Under DeSantis, Florida’s state legislature has passed waves of laws that restrict transgender access to healthcare and restrooms, as well as queer studies.

Jacob Muldoon, lead organizer with Orlando for Gender Equality, was at the event and spoke about its importance to the local community. “Orlando is one of the largest LGBT cities in the country, but it’s nestled in the heart of reactionary policies. After the Pulse shooting we need events like this to continue to remind our elected officials that we are continuing to fight for equality.”

When the crowd left City Hall and hit the street the number of protesters swelled to more than 350. They chanted, “Racist, sexist, anti-trans – Ron DeSantis go away” and “They say go back, we say fight back!” as they circled around the Seneff Arts Plaza three times before returning to City Hall.

Serena Sojic-Borne, an organizer with the Real Name Campaign, traveled from New Orleans to attend the protest. “In New Orleans, when Trump came to town we organized and shut him down. Today we’re shutting down the DeSantis agenda in Florida and tomorrow we’ll be building to shut down the entire Republican agenda at the RNC.”

The demands of the march were broad and united a variety of groups who have all been targeted by DeSantis’ repressive policies. One key demand was to drop the changes against the Tampa 5 – a group of student organizers who were arrested and brutalized by University of South Florida police while protesting against the reactionary House Bill 999 which restricts diversity programs, multicultural studies, faculty tenure etc. Member of the Tampa 5 Gina Davila explained that the struggle for trans rights and justice for Tampa 5 are linked. “DeSantis is attacking everyone, inside and outside of schools. That’s why we’re here today – it’s one struggle.”

Jamila Nicole, an organizer with Orlando for Gender Equality, spoke when the march returned to City Hall. She reminded the crowd of the seriousness of the threat that DeSantis’ attacks represent. “DeSantis wants to see trans people in one of three places: in the closet, in chains, or in the ground. He wants us to be as dead as his political career is.”

Many of the speakers and activists in attendance made plans to put a final nail in the coffin of the DeSantis agenda by building toward a massive march on the RNC in Milwaukee next year.

#OrlandoFL #LGBTQ #Trans #DeSantis #OGE #RealName

Two representatives of Orlando for Gender Equality (OGE) spoke about their campaign and their demands. “We are urging the city council, as outlined in the city charter, to direct the chief of police to lower the priority of enforcement for the trans bathroom bill to the lowest possible degree,” said Jacob Muldoon, an organizer with OGE. He continued, “taking up this demand is a first step in counteracting these hateful laws passed by the state legislature.”

In response to the organizer’s speeches, the mayor called on the chief of police and asked him if enforcing this new law was a priority for the Orlando Police Department. The chief responded in the negative, but no guarantee was made about the application and enforcement of the law.

Additionally, the city council engaged in a dialogue about what they have been doing behind the scenes to counteract these bills, namely the addition of single-stall gender neutral bathrooms into the renovation of Lake Eola. When pressed on if the city will recognize October as LGBT History Month, no guarantee was given. Finally, the council urged the importance of voting and electing better state leaders that will not pass laws that preempt city actions and better local leaders who will be strong fighters against this repression.

This mobilization comes as the central Florida area has come under intense scrutiny by DeSantis and his administration, including state investigators being sent to drag shows, the recent suspension and replacement of State Attorney Monique H. Worrell and the preemption of a local rent stabilization measure.

“Duly elected representatives are being removed from office,” Commissioner Sheehan exclaimed, showing the chilling effect this state repression is having on the willingness for local leaders to take action.

#OrlandoFL #FL #OGE

Orlando, FL – Activists and community members gathered outside of the Orange County courthouse in Orlando on September 1 to protest the agenda of Governor Ron DeSantis, in the wake of his recent attacks on the democratic rights. The community came together to show their support for transgender rights, and to protest the bigotry of DeSantis and the political climate he has orchestrated.

The highlighted issue at the protest was Senate Bill 1674, which was signed into law by DeSantis in May. The new law criminalizes transgender people for using the bathroom that aligns with their gender, with punishments including a $1000 fine or imprisonment for up to a year. This is just one of the many actions by DeSantis that prove him to be an enemy of the people.

The protest was organized by Orlando for Gender Equality (OGE), a community organization committed to direct action for LGBTQ rights and gender equality. OGE used the protest to announce the beginning of their campaign to protect trans access to bathrooms. Participating organizations included Orlando FRSO, Poder Latinx, and SWAN (Stand with Abortion Now) of Orlando. Democrat Representative Anna Eskamani also spoke at the rally. Among the issues mentioned were the attacks on workers’ unions by the DeSantis administration, the censorship of education on Black history and LGBTQ people, the suspension of state attorney Monique Worrell, and how all these problems are interconnected.

“We can’t simply wait for three years down the line when DeSantis is out of office,” said Jamila Nicole, the OGE speaker and one of the hosts of the event. “We can’t even wait until next month when our city is set to celebrate Pride. We can’t learn about Black history now! We can’t be gay in school now! They’re trying to push us back into the closet now! My healthcare is banned now! We fight back, and we do it now, because we’re not going back!”

This protest was another step in the right direction to get people organized, build community and bring awareness to the issues facing the people of Florida and the world. As part of their trans bathroom access campaign, OGE announced a mobilization to the Orlando City Council meeting on September 11 to demand that the city guarantee the lowest possible level of enforcement of the trans bathroom ban and to generally do more to stand up against the DeSantis administration. Now is the time to get involved.

#OrlandoFL #OGE #DeSantis #PoderLatinx #SWANOrlando