GLBT Equality Agenda

The Hillsborough County GLBTA Democratic Caucus recommends contacting your elected officials and asking them to please co-sponsor local, state or federal legislation. If no such legislation exists, please ask your elected officials to introduce legislation furthering the goal of GLBT equality.

Local Legislation

Enact or strengthen City and County Human Rights Ordinances
- City
  - City of Tampa
    - Anti-Discrimination
      - Retain sexual orientation as a protected category
      - Retain gender identity and expression as protected categories
    - Domestic Partnership
      - Retain domestic partnership benefits for city workers
      - Establish a City of Tampa Domestic Partnership Registry Passed June 25, 2012 – Thank you, Tampa City County & Mayor Bob Buckhorn!
  - Plant City and Temple TerraceHillsborough County
    - Add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression protections to anti-discrimination policy.
    - Add domestic partnership benefits for city workers and establish domestic partnership registry for same-gender couples in the city limits
- County
  - Hillsborough County Commission
    - Add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression protections to anti-discrimination policy.
    - Add domestic partnership benefits for city workers and establish domestic partnership registry for same-gender couples in the city limits
  - Hillsborough County School Board
    - Add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression protections to safe schools/anti-bullying ordinance.

Contacts
- Tampa
  - Mayor
  - City Council
- Plant City
- Temple Terrace
  - Mayor and City Council
- Hilllsborough County
  - County Commission
  - School Board

State Legislation

Non-Discrimination
Education
- Add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as protected categories in Safe Schools/Anti-Bullying law.
- Comprehensive age-appropriate sex education curriculum, including HIV/AIDS instruction
Relationship recognition
- Domestic partnership/civil unions benefits for all Floridians.
- Recognition of marriage of same-gender couples performed in other states.
- Reversal of Amendment 2.
Hate Crimes
- Expand hate crimes statute to include gender identity and expression.
Contacts
- State House
- State Senate

Federal Legislation (more information to come as legislation is introduced in the 112^th Congress)

Employment
- Pass a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Relationship Recognition and Family Law
- Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and recognize civil unions and marriages entered into in the states.
- Pass the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act to allow gay and lesbian federal employees to cover their same-gender domestic partners.
- Pass the Tax Equity for Domestic Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries Act in the Senate and the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act in the House to stop the taxation of employer-granted domestic partnership benefits.
- Pass the Uniting American Families Act to allow GLBT Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for immigration.
- Pass the Reuniting Families Act, an overall immigration bill which includes the above mentioned Uniting American Families Act
- Pass the Every Child Deserves a Family Act to prohibit discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on the sexual orientation, gender identification or marital status of any prospective adoptive or foster parent.

Health Care and Education
- Pass the Responsible Education About Life Act to provide for comprehensive sexuality education programs.
- Pass the Early Treatment for HIV/AIDS Act to permit Medicaid programs to cover low income HIV-positive Americans before they develop AIDS.
- Increase funding to combat HIV/AIDS by harnessing all possible resources to prevent new infections, provide meaningful access to quality care and treatment, boost research to find a cure and address the global crisis.
- Pass the Safe Schools Act to amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (part of the No Child Left Behind Act) to require schools and districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.