PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE -POST-PRIMARY ELECTION UPDATE - AUGUST 2024

 

August 21, 2024 As you know, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) is Florida’s oldest, independent, non-partisan, political organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. We promote equality through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation and community outreach. It has been quite a busy summer for Palm Beach County's LGBTQ+ community!

PBCHRC VOTERS ALLIANCE

Throughout the years, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance (PBCHRCVA) volunteers have worked to identify more LGBTQ+ and allied residents and get them registered to vote. We have also worked on early voting, vote-by-mail and get-out-the-vote campaigns. So, it came as no surprise that our supporters turned out in record numbers in yesterday's Primary Elections when otherwise, turnout was quite low.

Thanks to your votes, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidate won his election on August 20:

Daniel Eisinger Public Defender

In addition, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidates on the August 20 ballot moved forward, but face opposition in the November 5 General Election:

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell U.S. Senator Ric Bradshaw Sheriff Bobby Powell County Commission (Dist. 7)  Lourdes Casanova  County Court Judge (Group 2) Mindy Koch School Board (Dist. 5)

PBCHRC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The PBCHRC Charitable Foundation granted four graduating senior high school students in Palm Beach County our Social Justice Awards for 2024. The students are William T. Dwyer High School graduate Lindsay Reese, Florida Atlantic University High School graduate Laura Susskind, Seminole Ridge High School graduate Samaril Vellavoor, and Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts graduate Katherine Yang. Congratulations to the recipients! The award program was established in 2015 and are presented annually to college-bound graduating seniors who have demonstrated interest in advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.

To review the biographies of all of our scholarship recipients over the years and to learn more about the PBCHRC Charitable Foundation, click here. The PBCHRC Charitable Foundation also provides need-based scholarships to LGBTQ+ college students through the Norman L. Stern and August R. Venezio Scholarships. In addition, the Charitable Foundation has established the W. Trent Steele Legal Advocacy Award in recognition of Trent’s decades of pro bono work on behalf of PBCHRC as well as his work as a PBCHRC Board Member. The scholarship is available to LGBTQ+ and allied second and third year law students with ties to Palm Beach County. Please contact PBCHRC@gmail.com for further information Over the past year, PBCHRC and the Charitable Foundation have made significant contributions to:

451 Avengers - a local activist organization challenging library book bans in Palm Beach County, ACLU of Florida Foundation, which works to create a Florida free of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,  First Amendment Foundation, which watched over a legislative program to review, and reenact if warranted, each of the hundreds of exemptions to Florida's public records law,  Lambda Legal, a national legal organization representing LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV in court – and in the court of public opinion,  MAP (the Movement Advancement Project), a nonprofit think tank working to create a thriving, inclusive, and equitable America where all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life, PRISM, which works to expand access to LGBTQ+-inclusive education and sexual health resources for youth in South Florida, Stonewall National Museum & Archives, which presents exhibitions on LGBTQI themes and public programs in South Florida and across the United States, and,  Vita Nova, which is a safe bridge to independence for former foster care, LGBTQ+ and other unhoused local youth through supportive housing, education, employment and life.

HEARING SET ON AUGUST 28 FOR MAN WHO VANDALIZED DELRAY BEACH LGBTQ+ PRIDE INTERSECTION

On February 4, 2024, Dylan Reese Brewer of Clearwater was caught on video defacing the Delray Beach LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection by doing burnouts with his pickup truck. Brewer's truck sported a large Trump campaign flag. The Pride Intersection is a permanent art installation which was dedicated by Delray Beach elected officials on June 13, 2021, The street mural consists of eleven painted stripes representing the colors of the LGBTQ+ Progress Pride Flag. In 2021, the PBCHRC Charitable Foundation and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation paid $16,000 for the installation of the LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection. Brewer was charged with with Criminal Mischief over $1000, a third degree felony, and Reckless Driving, a first degree misdemeanor. At his arraignment on March 14, 2024, Brewer, through his attorney, pled "not guilty" before Circuit Court Judge Daliah H. Weiss. The status conference on the case, which has repeatedly been continued, is now scheduled for August 28, 2024. If convicted of the felony count, Brewer could be sentenced to prison for up to five years. If convicted of the misdemeanor count, Brewer could be sentenced to prison for up to one year.  The Affidavit of Probable Cause prepared by Delray Beach Police Department Detective Kaylee Bolanos, indicates Brewer drove his pickup truck through the Pride Intersection three times.. By repeatedly speeding and sharply applying his brakes, Brewer intentionally defaced the intersection with "burnouts" in several places.

According to the sworn statement of one of Brewer's passengers that day, Brewer recently had modifications made to the truck making it easier for him to do burnouts. The hate crime was captured on a city surveillance camera aimed directly at the Pride Intersection. Additional surveillance video was provided by The Office, a nearby restaurant. Those videos also showed Brewer's driving endangered pedestrians as well as a man on a scooter. Several witnesses who chased after the truck made videos showing a young man in a black cowboy hat driving the truck. The license plate in the videos established the vehicle was owned by Brewer's parents. To view one of the videos, click here. With this evidence, Detective Bolanos and her team established that Brewer was the perpetrator of the crimes. Brewer was contacted by the police and given the choice of either being arrested at his home or turning himself in. To avoid embarrassment, he chose the latter. Following booking, Brewer was locked up in the Palm Beach County Jail until arrangements for bail were made. Kudos to the Delray Beach Police Department for a job well done! PBCHRC has taken the position that defacement of the LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection should be considered a hate crime, However, State Attorney David Aronberg previously determined that since the intersection is owned by a municipality and not an individual, Florida’s hate crime statute does not apply. This is the second time the Delray Beach LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection has been defaced.

Alexander Jerich

In June 2021, just days after the Pride Intersection was dedicated, Alexander Jerich used his truck, also bearing a large Trump flag, to do burnouts on the intersection following a birthday celebration for former President Donald Trump sponsored by the Palm Beach County Republican Party. Shortly before trial in 2022, Jerich pled "guilty", Although PBCHRC filed a Victim Impact Statement requesting Jerich to be adjudicated of the felony he was charged with and serve time in county jail time, Circuit Court Judge Steven Suskauer merely gave Jerich a slap on the wrist. Jerich was ordered to write an essay about the victims of the Pulse Massacre, pay approximately $2,000 in restitution to the City of Delray Beach, undergo a mental health examination, and conduct 100 hours of community service, Judge Suskauer also withheld adjudication on both the felony and misdemeanor charges. Although Jerich was sentenced to two years probation, Judge Suskauer released him from probation 5 months early. PBCHRC will file a Victim Impact Statement regarding the hate crime Dylan Brewer committed and is hopefully that this time, justice will be served. We will keep you posted.

Despite torrential rain, close to one hundred PBCHRC supporters, including several public officials celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride Month on June 12 for our annual Pride Happy Hour hosted by Meat Market Palm Beach. As always, Meat Market rolled out the rainbow carpet in recognition of the achievements of our local LGBTQ+ community. In addition to providing a fabulous array of passed hors  d'oeuvres and Happy Hour drink prices, the restaurant donated a $100 gift certificate and a percentage of the night’s dinner proceeds to the PBCHRC.

PBCHRC'S BIENNIAL SUMMER  SOIRÉE

On July 13, more than 150 PBCHRC supporters celebrated the night away at our SOLD OUT biennial Summer Soirée at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. SandyJames Fine Food and Productions provided an array of passed hors d’oeuvres. Russian amber oscetra caviar donated by Altima Caviar, was the hit of the evening.  Touching on the Olympic Games, event designer Bruce Sutka stationed soccer players at the doors to greet guests while volleying soccer balls back and forth. Throughout the evening, the attendees were entertained by gymnasts and other athletes. Thanks go out to our amazing Host Committee: Altima Palm Beach School Board Member Alexandria Ayala Mack and Shawn Bernard James Berwind and Kevin Clark Terry Bowie and William Feldkamp Sheriff Ric Bradshaw School Board Member Karen Brill Nancy Chanin Shawn Cherry and Vincent Ruisi Compass LGBTQ+ Community Center Cornerstone Solutions David Crespo and Nicholas Coppola City Commissioner Christy Fox Sarah and Melissa Hassan Judge Rand Hoch (ret.) Michael Judd and Ben Small Michael Kagdis Gregg Lerman City Commissioner Christina Lambert Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link Rachelle Litt and Dr. Jeffrey Litt City Commissioner Rob Long National Croquet Center State Senator Bobby Powell Mayor Betty Resch SandyJames Fine Food & Productions Jill Sasso and Roe Manghisi Arthur Schofield State Representative David Silvers Bruce Sutka Scott Velozo and Stephen Mooney Dr. Donald Watren and Anthony Jaggi  State Representative Katherine Waldron County Commissioner Gregg Weiss Thanks to their generosity. all of the proceeds from individual tickets sales went directly to fund PBCHRC initiatives and programs. To check out the photos, click here.

IN OTHER NEWS

PBCHRC mourns the passing our longtime Board Member J.P. Sasser, who died on August 6. JP served four terms as Mayor of Pahokee and was one of the first openly gay mayors in Florida. PBCHRC Voters Alliance Member Emmy Kenney, who represents PBCHRC on the School District's Diversity and Equity Committee received the "Champion for Equity in Education" award from the School District of Palm Beach County. Daniel Gibson, Vice President for Community Impact for the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, has joined the PBCHRC Voters Alliance. I served as a panelist on "Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: A Panel Discussion with Trailblazing LGBTQ+ Judges" at Florida International University College of Law and on “Are We Dimming The Light Of Education In The Sunshine State” for the National Council of Jewish Women - Palm Beach Section. In addition, I am currently representing PBCHRC at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

CURRENT INITIATIVES

PBCHRC is currently working to persuade:  The local courts, prosecutors and public defenders to utilize the appropriate pronouns when addressing trans people with business before the courts,  The Health Care District of Palm Beach County to provide trans-specific healthcare services to indigent patients, and   The School District of Palm Beach County to cease doing business with Chick-fil-A and other companies that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and other minorities.  For more than three decades, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has worked diligently on behalf of the LGBTQ community. With your support, we will continue to do so in the years to come. As always, we will keep you posted on our progress. Judge Rand Hoch (retired), President and Founder