President's Message - June 2026

 June 9, 2026

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.

As we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month nationwide, we recognize that as a state, Florida faces an extremely uphill battle in trying to overturn the many anti-LGBTQ+ laws which have been enacted by overwhelming margins in the Florid Legislature and signed into law by Governor DeSantis.  

As usual, there is good news and bad news concerning out state’s treatment of the queer community. 

So, first the bad news.

According to a nationwide Gallup Poll released earlier this month, after two decades of rising support for LGBTQ+ issues, U.S. attitudes have plateaued and begun to slide back modestly. Approval of same-sex marriage, moral acceptance of gay and lesbian relations, and endorsement of gender changes are all down from peaks reached in the early 2020s. (https://news.gallup.com/poll/710810/support-lgbtq-issues-remains-down-peak.aspx)

On the Federal level, President Donald Trump has implemented many policies limiting the rights of LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV. Some of the most egregious policies include:

• Federal recognition of only two sexes,
• Passport gender-marker changes,
• Restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors,
• Transgender military service restrictions,
• Education and "gender ideology" policies,
• School sports policies banning trans girls and women from competing in sports categories in schools which receive federal funding, and
• Federal prisons and sex-segregated facilities.

Fortunately, many of these policies are being challenged in the federal courts and some have been struck down. However, some have been appealed and are pending in the courts.

Focusing on Florida, the news is even worse. 

The 2026 State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index, published by Out Leadership, ranks Florida #46 out of the fifty states (slightly higher than South Carolina, Idaho, Tennessee and Arkansas). The report shows Florida has been in “significant decline driven by “Don’t Say Gay” expansion, healthcare restrictions, bathroom bans, and book restrictions. 

It is mind-boggling that even though Florida has one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the nation, these laws and policies were easily enacted in Tallahassee over the past five years:

• Ban on Transgender Girls and Women in Women's School Sports,
• The Stop WOKE Act/ the Individual Freedom Act,
• "Don't Say Gay"/Parental Rights in Education,
• “Don’t Say Gay"/Parental Rights in Education Expansion,
• Book Review and Library Restrictions,
• Restrictions on Gender-Affirming Care,
• Restriction on Bathroom Access,
• Restrictions on Drag Performances, 
• "Medical Conscience" Law, 
• Gender Identity and Pronoun Policies,
• Higher-Education Anti-DEI Legislation, and
• Restrictions on DEI Programs in Public Colleges.

Fortunately, portions of some of these laws have been struck down by the courts. But as with the federal issues, there are numerous appeals and we await final determinations by the courts.

Governor Ron DeSantis has made Florida the #1 state in the nation in banning books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes. He also went on a rampage against LGBTQ+ public art. 

Just days after he threatened to withhold millions of dollars of state funds to municipalities with LGBTQ+ public art, Boynton Beach promptly painted over the LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection.  

While West Palm Beach promptly sandblasted the LGBTQ+ Pride crosswalks in Northwood Village, the City has re-purposed rainbow colored bricks that were intended to replace the painted crosswalks and have installed them in nearby Serenity Park.  

And in Delray Beach where elected officials led by then Vice Mayor/now State Representative Rob Long, state workers destroyed the LGBTQ+ Pride Intersection. Fortunately, local activists are working with City officials to create a new monument for the Delray Beach queer community.   

WHAT’S EVEN WORSE - There are a lot of unknowns about a new anti-DEI law taking effect next year and city commissioners are bracing for any dirty tricks coming out of Tallahassee.

Now for the good news.

Despite all of this unwanted and unnecessary attention by the federal and state government, LGBTQ+ people in Palm Beach County are fortunate to live in a place where so much progress has been made for the LGBTQ+ community for more than three decades. Working with elected officials, PBCHRC has secured exceptional countywide and municipal victories which assure LGBTQ+ individuals and families in Palm Beach County are entitled to equal rights, privileges, benefits and protections. For a complete list of more than 160 laws and policies enacted as the result of PBCHRC’s efforts, click here to view “Our Impact” (https://www.pbchrc.org/laws-policies)

In Palm Beach County, the LGBTQ+ community will not be erased! 

PBCHRC VOTERS ALLIANCE

For the foreseeable future, the LGBTQ+ community across the nation will continue to face greater challenges at the federal and state levels than we have in decades. Elections have consequences, and our community is being targeted in an unprecedented manner.

Throughout the years, Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance (PBCHRCVA) has interviewed more than 1,000 candidates and we have endorse hundreds who support LGBTQ+ initiatives.

There were several Special Elections and numerous Municipal Elections held in the past six months and thanks to your votes, the following PBCHRCVA-endorsed candidates were successful in their election (or re-election) campaigns

• Florida State Representatives Emily Gregory and Rob Long
• Boca Raton Mayor Andy Thomson
• Boca Raton City Councilmember Stacy Sipple
• Delray Beach City Commissioner Judy Mollica
• Greenacres City Council Member Judy Dugo
• Lake Park Mayor Roger Michaud
• Palm Beach Town Council Member Lew Crampton
• Palm Beach Gardens City Council Members Rachelle Litt and Dana Middleton
• Royal Palm Beach Village Council Member Selena Samios
• West Palm Beach City Commissioners Christy Fox and Cathleen Ward

Congratulations to all!

The Primary Election will be held on August 18 and the General Election will be held on November 3. The deadline to register to vote for the August 18 primary is July 20, so if you have LGBTQ+ supportive people in your life who have not yet registered to vote in Palm Beach County, please share this link with them www.votepalmbeach.gov/162/Register-to-Vote.

Earlier this year, PBCHRC VA made the following endorsements of people who will be on the ballot in 2026:

• U.S. House of Representatives (Dist. 23) - Lois Frankel
• State Senate Dist. 24 - Mack Bernard
• State Senate Dist. 26 - David Silvers
• State Representative (Dist. 87) - Emily Gregory
• State Representative (Dist. 88) - Tae Edmonds
• State Representative (Dist. 89) - Debra Tendrich
• State Representative (Dist. 90) - Rob Long
• State Representative (Dist. 92) - Kelly Skidmore
• County Commissioner (Dist. 2) - Erica Whitfield
• County Commissioner (Dist. 6) - Katherine Waldron
• Port of Palm Beach District Commission (Group 4) - Blair Ciklin
• Port of Palm Beach District Commission (Group 7) - Deandre Poole
• Palm Beach County School Board (Dist. 3) - Karen Brill
• Palm Beach County School Board (Dist. 7) - Edwin Ferguson

Later this month and into mid-July, PBCHRC Voters Alliance will conduct face-to-face interviews of additional candidates running for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Legislators, Governor, Attorney General, and many other races. Following the interviews, we may make endorsements in those races.

We will keep you posted.

LGBTQ+ PRIDE HAPPY HOUR AT MEAT MARKET

More than 100 PBCHRC supporters attended our SOLD OUT annual LGBTQ+ Pride Happy Hour at Meat Market Palm Beach. A Proud time was had by all. Thanks go out to Meat Market Palm Beach for their continued support and hospitality. And congratulations to Matthew Kelly, who won the raffle for a $100 gift certificate generously donated by Meat Market.

To view the photos taken by PBCHRC photographer Gail Haines, click here.

SUMMER SOIRÉE

On Saturday evening, July 25, PBCHRC supporters will gather to celebrate at our biennial Summer Soirée. The event will be held from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. Sandy James Fine Food & Productions is catering and the event will feature passed hors d'oeuvres. As always, there will be a premium open bar. Attire is Palm Beach Casual and there will be complimentary valet parking.

PBCHRC's Board of Directors hopes you will help underwrite the event and PBCHRC initiatives by joining our Host Committee, which is currently in formation. The only requirement to become a Host Committee member is a contribution of $1,000, which entitles you to two tickets to the Summer Soirée and listings in all event related materials.  

Here is a list of the Host Committee Members as of June 9:

• Altima Palm Beach
• Paul Bernabeo and David Cohen
• Bernard Taylor for Congress
• Terry Bowie and William Feldkamp
• Sheriff Ric Bradshaw
• School Board Member Karen Brill
• Castle Wealth Management
• Nancy Chanin
• Shawn Cherry and Vincent Ruisi
• Port of Palm Beach Chair Blair Ciklin 
• Jason Colin and James Curtis 
• Compass LGBTQ+ Community Center
• Cornerstone Solutions
• State Attorney Alexcia Cox
• Palm Beach Town Councilmember Lew Crampton
• David Crespo and Nicholas Coppola
• Yvette Drucker
• WPB City Commissioner Christy Fox
• Congresswoman Lois Frankel
• Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A
• H.G. Roosters
• Rand Hoch
• David Jolly
• Michael Judd and Ben Small
• Christina and Monte Lambert
• Gregg Lerman
• Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link
• State Representative Rob Long and Alexandria Ayala-Long
• LWB Vice Mayor Mimi May
• Meat Market - Palm Beach
• David and Michael Mittleman
• Mittleman Eye
• Port of Palm Beach Vice Chair Deandre Poole
• LWB Mayor Betty Resch
• Christina Romelus
• Sandy James Fine Food & Productions
• Arthur Schofield
• Julie Seaver
• Bruce Sutka
• WPB City Commissioner Steve Sylvester
• Eric Telchin and Logan Nolting
• Scott Velozo and Stephen Mooney
• Katherine Waldron
• WPB City Commissioner Shalonda Warren
• A.J. Wasson and Randy Christensen
• Dr. Donald Watron and Tony Jaggi
• Commissioner Gregg Weiss and Rebecca Weiss
• School Board Member Erica Whitfield

In the alternative, individual tickets are on sale for $150. 

To join the Host Committee

or to purchase individual tickets, click here.

You may also mail your check made payable to PBCHRC to P.O. Box 267, West Palm Beach, Florida 33402

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at 561-358-0105 or flagler400@gmail.com.

 

PBCHRC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The PBCHRC Charitable Foundation, which was established in 2015, awards scholarships and provides funding to nonprofit organizations.

Each year the Foundation presents our Social Justice Awards – $2,500 scholarships – to graduating LGBTQ+ and allied high school seniors who have been advocates for our community. This year we presented Social Justice Awards to eight local students: Chloe Coffie and Chloe Medlock of William T. Dwyer High School, McKinley Cupit and Alysha Kennedy of Jupiter Community High School, Emily Daniel of Santaluces Community High School, Presley Greenstein of Jupiter Community High School, Zachary Koenig of Donna Klein Jewish Academy, and Damarrion Wilder of Palm Beach Gardens High School.

Congratulations to these amazing students!

To date, we have awarded 37 Social Justice Award To view the biographies of the Social Justice Award recipients and to learn more about the PBCHRC Charitable Foundation, click here.

The Foundation also provides need-based scholarships to LGBTQ+ college students through the Norman L. Stern and August R. Venezio Scholarships, to second and third year law students through the W. Trent Steele Legal Advocacy Awards, and to students from Palm Beach County who are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math through the Charlie Fredrickson Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Scholarships. advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion.

For more information about the Foundation's various scholarship programs, click here.

The Foundation's Board of Directors is in the process of creating a scholarship for students pursuing careers in the graphic arts. The scholarship will be named after graphic artist extraordinaire Scott Velozo, PBCHRC’s longtime volunteer artist in residence.

PBCHRC and the Charitable Foundation have recently 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,
• Compass, our county's LGBTQ+ community center,
• First Amendment Foundation, which watches over a legislative program to review, and reenact if warranted, each of the hundreds of exemptions to Florida's public records law,
• The Historical Society of Palm Beach County, in support of their 2026 Celebration of Pride, 
• Lambda Legal, a national legal organization representing LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV in court – and in the court of public opinion,
• Lavender Graduation 2026, a ceremony honoring the academic achievements, leadership, and resilience of LGBTQ+ and allied youth group members in South Florida,
• The Movement Advancement Project (MAP), 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,
• Night Runners WPB, a local non-profit organization that hosts weekly meetups for the LGBTQ+ and allied runners and walkers,
• PRISM, which works to expand access to LGBTQ+-inclusive education and sexual health resources for youth in South Florida,
• South Florida Queer Jewish Youth Alliance, 
• Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library, which presents exhibitions on LGBTQ+ themes and public programs in South Florida and across the United States,
• Transpire, which provides the resources necessary for LGBTQ+ individuals to create a solid foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life, 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.

IN OTHER NEWS

• Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud, the man who deliberately drove his truck into the Night Runners LGBTQ+ running club last November, remains in jail awaiting trial two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless driving. The case is being prosecuted as a potential hate crime,
• The United States Supreme Court ruled that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors was an unconstitutional infringement of the free speech rights of therapists using “talk therapy”, working (in vain) to change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,  
• PBCHRC presented “Understanding the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index and why participation benefits Lake Worth Beach” to the Lake Worth Beach City Commission,
• Lake Worth Beach attorney Adriana Gonzalez was elected to serve on PBCHRC’s Board of Directors and selected to serve on the PBCHRC Voters Alliance,
• Philanthropist Barry Lowenthal was appointed to serve on the PBCHRC Voters Alliance,
• Avion Goordeen has been reappointed to serve as PBCHRC representative on the Palm Beach County School Districts Diversity & Equity Committee,
• PBCHRC Board Member Matt McWatters was selected to participate in the Victory Fund’s 2026 Candidate & Campaign Training,
• PBCHRC participated in the Palm Beach County Library System’s Pride Expo, and  
• Compass Executive Director Julie Seaver and I were recognized as honorees at the Stonewall National Museum, Archives and Library’s Stonewall Honors. 

THANKS GO OUT TO:

• County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo for ensuing more than $300,000 was awarded to restore the aging air conditioning system and elevators at the Compass building, which is owned by the City of Lake Worth Beach,
• Port of Palm Beach District Commissioners Blair Ciklin, Deandre Poole and Wayne Richards for contributing to PBCHRC Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund, and
• Retiring Florida Senator Tina Polsky for her unwavering support during her tenure in the Florida Legislature.

CURRENT INITIATIVES

PBCHRC is currently working to persuade:

• The courts, prosecutors, and public defenders to utilize the appropriate pronouns when addressing trans people with business before the courts, 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

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. PBCHRC’s Registration Number is CH46486. Our Federal Tax ID #65-0175288.