The organization is basing its attack on a PBCHRC legislative strategy way back in 2007. Interestingly, that was the year PBCHRC's bill in the Florida House of Representatives to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act included both "sexual orientation" and "gender ifentity or expression."! But our 2007 bill, like every LGBTQ-supportive bill ever filed in the Florida Legislature since the aforerefereced organization was founded in 1997, was dead on arrival.
So, let's set the record straight.
Of the 136 laws and policies PBCHRC is responsible for enacting since 1990, sixty-three are trans-supportive. Here they are:
Trans-Supportive Laws and Policies
in Palm Beach County
1. 2004 - The Office of the Supervisor of Elections becomes the first local public employer to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
2. 2007- West Palm Beach amends its Equal Opportunity Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression in private and public employment, housing and public accommodation.
3. 2007 - Lake Worth amends the city's Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
4. 2007 - Palm Beach County amends its Equal Employment Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
5. 2007 - Tequesta enacts comprehensive policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
6. 2008 - The Palm Beach County School Board includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in a comprehensive policy protecting students against bullying and harassment.
7. 2008 - The South Florida Water Management Districts amends its policies to prohibit harassment based on gender identity or expression.
8. 2010 - The Palm Beach County School Board revises all of the School District’s nondiscrimination policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
9. 2011 - Wellington amends their non-discrimination policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
10. 2011 - The Office of the State Attorney revises its Harassment Policy to include gender identity or expression.
11. 2012 - Palm Beach County amends its Nondiscrimination in Contracting Policy to include gender identity or expression.
12. 2012 - The West Palm Beach Housing Authority adds gender identity or expression to its nondiscrimination policy.
13. 2013 - The Town of South Palm Beach adds "sexual orientation" and "any other legally protected status" to the Town's nondiscrimination statement.
14. 2013 - The Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority adds gender identity or expression to its nondiscrimination policy.
15. 2013 - The City of Delray Beach updates its policy against discrimination, harassment and bullying to include both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression."
16. 2013 - The City of Boca Raton amends its personnel rules and regulations to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
17. 2013 - The City of Boca Raton extends the jurisdiction of the Community Relations Board to include the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.
18. 2014 - The City of Boynton Beach amends its personnel policies to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
19. 2014 - The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners unanimously votes to establish a policy stating that the County shall not do business with, or appropriate funds to, any public or private organization which practices discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or genetic information.
20. 2014 - The Town of Lake Park updates its Equal Employment Policy to prohibit discrimination based on "gender identity or expression"
21. 2015 - The Port of Palm Beach includes an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination clause in their contract with Bahamas Paradise Cruiseline.
22. 2015 - The Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County updates its nondiscrimination policy to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
23. 2015 - The City of Boynton Beach enacts an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance.
24. 2015 - The City of Riviera Beach amends its Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy to include both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression".
25. 2015 - The City of Greenacres enacts an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance.
26. 2015 - The City of Delray Beach enacts an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance.
27. 2015 - Florida Atlantic University amends Regulation 5.010, Anti-discrimination and Anti-harassment, to include "gender identity and expression".
28. 2015 - The Town of Lake Clarke Shores unanimously adopts an LGBT-inclusive resolution supporting freedom from discrimination for all individuals.
29. 2015 - The Town of Haverhill adopts an LGBT-inclusive resolution supporting freedom from discrimination for all individuals.
30. 2015 - The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners votes to vastly expand the definition of "places of public accommodation" in the Palm Beach County Ordinance for Equal Opportunity to Housing and Places of Public Accommodation.
31. 2015 - The Village of Wellington enacts an LGBT-inclusive Civil Rights Ordinance.
32. 2015 - The West Palm Beach City Commission votes to vastly expand the definition of "public accommodations" in the West Palm Beach Equal Opportunity Ordinance.
33. 2015 - The School District of Palm Beach County replaces the phrase “personal life style (including sexual orientation)” with the phrases “gender identity and/or gender expression” and “sexual orientation” in the Discrimination and Harassment article in the School District’s collective bargaining agreement with the teachers’ union.
34. 2015 - The South Florida Water Management District announced that it prohibits transgender workers from being harassed and discriminated against based on both "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" even if they work in a jurisdiction that has no LGBT-inclusive rights laws.
35. 2016 - The Town of Haverhill amended its Equal Employment Opportunity Policy to prohibit discrimination against Town employees based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression".
36. 2016 - The Town of Haverhill amended its Anti-Harassment Policy to prohibit harassment against Town employees based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression".
37. 2016 - The Lake Worth City Commission amended the city’s Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
38. 2016 - The Lake Worth City Commission amended the city’s Merit Services policy to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
39. 2016 - The Lake Worth City Commission amended the city’s Procurement Code to ensure equal opportunity based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
40. 2016 - The Town of Lake Clarke Shores updated its Anti-Harassment Policy to specifically include "gender identity or expression" among the protected classes.
41. 2016 - The City of West Palm Beach updated its procurement code to expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
42. 2016 - The City of West Palm Beach updated its health insurance policies to include transgender-related care for municipal employees.
43. 2016 - The City of West Palm Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
44. 2016 - The 15th Judicial Circuit updated its Civil Rights Complaint Procedure to specifically include complaints of discrimination based on "gender identity or expression".
45. 2016 - The 15th Judicial Circuit updated its Code of Conduct for Non-Judicial Employees to prohibit discrimination based on "gender identity and expression”.
46. 2017 - The City of Lake Worth enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
47. 2017 - The City of Boynton Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
48. 2017 - The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners amends the definition of “sexual orientation" in the County’s Equal Employment Ordinance from "male or female homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality, by preference or practice" to "heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or asexuality, whether actual or perceived."
49. 2017 - The City of Delray Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
50. 2017 - The City of Riviera Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
51. 2017 - The City of Delray Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
52. 2017 - The Town of Jupiter enacts a Fair and Impartial Policing Statement which provides that police officers “shall not consider race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, gender identity or sexual orientation in establishing either reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or as a basis for requesting consent to search.”
53. 2017 - The City of Riviera Beach enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
54. 2017 - Palm Beach County updated its health insurance policies to include transgender-related care for county employees.
55. 2017 - The Village of Wellington enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
56. 2017 - The City of Greenacres enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
57. 2017 - The City of Boca Raton enacts an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
58. 2017 - Palm Beach County becomes the first county in Florida – and the largest county in the United States – to enact an ordinance banning conversion therapy for minors.
59. 2018 - The Village of Royal Palm Beach adopts an LGBT-inclusive civil rights resolution.
60. 2018 - The City of West Palm Beach adopts an LGBTQ-inclusive resolution affirming its commitment to address and eliminate bullying at city facilities and in city programs.
61. 2018 - The School Board of Palm Beach County adopts Policy 1.041, Equity Policy, to show the Board’s commitment to eliminating race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or socioeconomic status as predictors for academic success.
62. 2018 - The Town of Ocean Ridge enacts an LGBT-inclusive civil rights ordinance.
63. 2018 - The School Board of Palm Beach County amends Policy 0.01, Commitment to Students, to prohibit discrimination and harassment by educators based on students' sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Today I received an e-mail from PBHRC defending an issue that struck a nerve. Here is the opening:
ReplyDeletePaid staffers at a statewide LGBTQ rights organization in Florida has been attacking PBCHRC and others on social media for "leaving the transgender community behind".
My plan was to fade quietly from PBHRC feeling that maybe my perception was unique. Seems that this is not the case. I did review the impressive list of PBHRC’s accomplishments. And tangentially, the “T” part on the LGBTQ equation has benefited.
First a little about myself: I am out as transgender advocate and have been out for the past 30+ years. I have belonged to numerous support groups in California Illinois, Georgia, and Florida. I started two support groups in Florida, both of which continue to this day. I have been interviewed on national TV, and am a speaker at both National transgender convention as well as “Woman's Empowerment Seminars”. I have lectured for many years at numerous universities on the subject of “Gender Studies”. Currently, I am active in s startup that will teach and mentor diversity.
My world-wide BLOG has been out for almost three years and has had over 2 million views. Currently, views run about 20,000 a month. My BLOG addresses transgender inclusion, fashion, and LGBTQ motivational subjects.
I joined PBHRC well over a year ago after having attended several events over the years. Upon joining I volunteered to “help, in any way that I could”. I lobbied ranking member mentioning that I have non-profit experience as well as feel that I represent the “Transgender” community in a positive/teaching manner. “I could make myself available to help our collective community“. Retired at that time, I was available.
I receive nothing in reply and at weekly and monthly LGBTQ events spoke up until I was being a nuisance. My membership has lapsed and I receive neither notice nor have been encouraged to rejoin. Event invitations have been spotty. I felt that this was just a lack of organization expertise. Now I suspect other motivations.
I can only speak for my experience: I feel “left behind” and personally do not perceive a commitment to the transgender community.