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ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMINATION

Florida Republicans Advance Bill Banning Discussion of LGBTQ People in School Under Guise of ‘Parental Rights’

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Under the guise of “parental rights” and “student welfare” a Florida House committee has advanced legislation that would ban primary school discussion of LGBTQ people or topics, could require school officials to notify a parent if a student comes out as LGBTQ, bans schools from withholding that information from parents in many cases, and allows parents to sue if schools violate those policies.

Florida House Bill 1557, “Parental Rights in Education,” was advanced out of the Education and Employment Committee, The Tampa Bay Times reports. Its author, Rep. Joe Harding, the founder of a local lawn care company, was described by a local paper when he won his 2020 race as as “a supporter of anti-abortion legislation and the Second Amendment.”

The bill in part reads: “A school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

Jon Harris Maurer, Equality Florida’s Public Policy Director, spoke out against the legislation Thursday:

The bill must pass through one additional committee before being voted on by the full House.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), who is running for governor, weighed in:

A call to Rep. Harding’s office was not returned.

Image by Labpluto123 via Wikimedia and a CC license

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ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMINATION

Boston is One Step Closer to Executing a ‘Straight Pride’

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5 years ago

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June 28, 2019

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Rainbow pride flag at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro at night, San Francisco (2013). Photo: TorboKHopper/Flickr

Beantown is one step closer to welcoming a “Straight Pride” to its masses after City officials approved the organizers’ public event application Thursday. The next step is the permitting process involving police district captains and the licensing board. An entertainment license is also being anticipated.

The Straight Pride Parade is being organized by Super Happy Fun America. John Hugo, the group’s organizer, told CNN the event is “not anti-gay but pro-straight.”

“We are disappointed that celebrities and politicians including Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Evans, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and Eric Swalwell have chosen to use their power and privilege to fan the flames of intolerance by disparaging our young civil rights movement,” the website stated. “However, we are encouraged by all the support we have received from around the world. The parade is a festive occasion that will be used as a platform to educate the public on the unique problems facing our community and to fight against heterophobia”

Evans, who stars as Marvel’s Captain America, blasted the group of men planning to hold a “Straight Pride” parade in his hometown of Boston as “homophobic” on Wednesday.

The Marvel star took to Twitter to write, “Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!! Just a thought, instead of ‘Straight Pride’ parade, how about this: The ‘desperately trying to bury our own gay thoughts by being homophobic because no one taught us how to access our emotions as children’ parade? Whatta ya think? Too on the nose??”

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has verbalized his intent to skip the event if the application and permit are approved.
The organizers’ website depicts a purple and blue background “Straight Pride flag” with male and female sex symbols appearing. The flag will not fly at the City level.
“The city maintains that its flag poles are a forum for government speech. As such, the city maintains selectivity and control over the messages conveyed by the flags flown on our flag poles, and has chosen not to display the ‘Straight Pride’ flag.”
Hugo said Milo Yiannopoulos will serve as the grand marshal for the event and 2,000 attendees are expected.
“The city has assured me that if we follow the steps, it will go through,” said Hugo.

The event date is slated for August 31 from noon to 3 p.m., according to the application. It would start on Boylston and Clarendon Streets and proceed along Boylston to Tremont.

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ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMINATION

Major Victory: State Supreme Court Rules Unanimously Against Florist Who Refused a Same-Sex Couple

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June 6, 2019

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The Washington State Supreme Court has just handed down a unanimous ruling against Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene’s flowers, who refused to make arrangements for a longtime customer because he was marrying a man.

The ruling upholds a lower court’s decision that found Stutzman’s case was not decided with animus toward her religious beliefs – an argument that did win in the case Colorado Christian baker Jack Phillips at the U.S. Supreme Court. There is no suggestion the two cases are similar.

KOMO and the AP report the State Supreme Court Thursday ruling means that “Stutzman’s refusal to provide flowers to the same-sex couple constituted discrimination against sexual orientation.”

Stutzman over several years has been offered multiple opportunities to settle her case by state and local prosecutors, but repeatedly refused. One offer was for $1000. At the same time, her attorneys have falsely claimed that by refusing the same-sex couple the elderly florist may lose her business, her home, and her savings. It’s a false claim that’s been repeated by many on the right.

The State at one point tried to settle with Stutzman for $2000 but she refused, and with her activist Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, went to trial. A Washington judge found Stutzman violated the Consumer Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination, and fined her $1000, $1 in legal costs, and enjoined her from further acts of discrimination.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-LGBT hate group that has carved out a niche defending Christians claiming their religious beliefs entitle them to discriminate against same-sex couples, says it will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement they refer to Stutzman as a “floral artist.”

Last year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Stutzman’s case, but did not rule out reviewing it in the future.

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