State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire

First Name*

Last Name*

Address*

City*

State*

Zip*

Phone*

Email*

Office*

District*

Election Date*

Non-Discrimination

1. In 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County in a 6 - 3 majority decision that discrimination on the basis of “sex” includes discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”. In 2021, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, Florida’s agency charged with interpreting and administering the protections of the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Florida Fair Housing Act, began implementing this decision in state law and, as a result, Florida’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community is protected by state law from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Do you support state laws that ban discrimination against the LGBTQ community in housing, employment, and public spaces?*

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2. In recent sessions, anti-LGBTQ state lawmakers have tried to establish a de facto license to discriminate against LGBTQ employees or consumers based on a claim of religious, moral, or ethical objection. Do you oppose new laws granting businesses, medical providers, or individuals a license to discriminate against LGBTQ persons based on such objections?*

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Family Recognition and Formation

3. Florida’s discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act” recognizing only marriages between one man and one woman was passed in 1997 and has since been ruled unconstitutional by both Florida courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Today every LGBTQ Floridian enjoys the freedom to marry. Do you oppose any attempts to erode or overturn marriage equality for same-sex couples?*

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4. Do you support repealing the unconstitutional and unenforced so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” from current Florida statutes?*

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5. Do you oppose any attempt to reinstate the ban on gay or lesbian individuals/couples adopting children?*

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6. Do you oppose any attempt to grant adoption and foster care agencies a license to discriminate against LGBTQ couples, LGBTQ individuals, and LGBTQ foster parents?*

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Conversion Therapy

7. So-called “conversion therapy” is the fraudulent and dangerous practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It has been debunked by every mainstream medical and mental health association. Do you support legislation to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy?*

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Hate Crimes

8. Florida’s existing hate crimes law includes crimes motivated by biases based on sexual orientation, but it does not include biases based on gender or gender identity. Do you support modernizing our state hate crimes laws to include enumerated protections for transgender Floridians?*

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Transgender Equality

Nationwide, legislative attacks on transgender Americans have increased at alarming rates. Here in Florida the legislature has passed legislation to ban transgender youth from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, ban transgender youth from getting access to life-saving affirming healthcare, criminalized doctors for providing, with support of parents, widely accepted healthcare, and passed a ban on transgender Floridians and tourists using bathrooms that align with their gender identity in public buildings.

The stigmatization and dehumanization of transgender Floridians has real world consequences. Florida has seen an epidemic of violence against transgender women even while Florida politicians have ratcheted up anti-trans sentiment using harmful and discriminatory tropes about transgender people, and especially our transgender youth.

9. Visibility and representation in our processes for public policy are an important priority of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, and especially for transgender Floridians. Are you willing to hire transgender and gender nonbinary Floridians in your legislative office or on your campaign?*

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10. Do you support repealing the legislature’s recent laws criminalizing parents or medical providers who provide gender affirming care to transgender youth?*

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11. Do you support legislation requiring fair and equal access to essential healthcare for transgender Floridians?*

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12. Do you support repealing the legislature’s ‘bathroom bill’ that bans access to restrooms and other gender-segregated facilities in public buildings, educational facilities, or correctional facilities for transgender Floridians and visitors?*

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13. As a state lawmaker, what will you do to protect the dignity of transgender students, and ensure their right to fully participate in K-12 public schools?*

Reproductive Rights & Education

LGBTQ rights and reproductive rights are causes in common, both based on a fundamental right to be free from governmental intrusion into our most intimate decision-making about how we structure our personal lives and families. The Florida Legislature recently passed, and the Governor signed into law, a 15-week abortion ban, and specifically rejected amendments to establish exceptions for cases involving rape, incest, and human trafficking.

14. Do you support safe and legal access to abortion?*

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15. Will you oppose attempts to further restrict safe and legal access to abortion?*

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Education and Safe Schools

Equality Florida believes that our schools should be a place where every student is protected and every family is respected. LGBTQ students deserve to see themselves and their families in the books they read and the lessons taught in class. This is essential to building educational environments that are safe and affirming for all students. Recent legislation has negatively impacted the ability of our school districts to ensure LGBTQ students and their families are reflected in their education including legislation banning the inclusion of instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity (2022's HB1557 and 2023's HB1069), limiting instruction on honest history and topics like racism and sexism (2022's HB7), and has promoted the removal of books with LGBTQ characters (2022's HB1467).

16. Do you support repealing the discriminatory “Don’t Say LGBTQ” statute that prohibits classroom instruction related to LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ history, and LGBTQ families in Florida schools?*

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17. In 2022 Governor Desantis signed HB 7, the so-called “Stop WOKE Act,” which vaguely bans difficult conversations in workplaces and K-12 schools the include the origins of racism and injustice, the existence of implicit bias and privilege, and an honest telling of American history related to race, gender, or sexual orientation. The law warps Florida’s civil rights laws to censor diversity, equity, and inclusion training in private workplaces and empowers employees, parents, and students to sue if a school or employer has a discussion about diversity that compels them to feel guilt or discomfort. Honest conversations about LGBTQ families, race, gender, and the root causes of discrimination are a critical part of creating safe and inclusive spaces both in schools and at workplaces. Do you support repealing the so-called “Stop WOKE Act”?*

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18. Because of language in 2023’s HB1069 and 2022’s HB1467, books that include gay parents or any LGBTQ characters are being challenged and removed from school bookshelves at the state and district level. Even "And Tango Makes Three," the true story of two penguins raising a chick together at a zoo has been challenged as “obscene” because the adult penguins are both male. Do you oppose efforts to censor or ban books that include LGBTQ characters and LGBTQ families from classrooms or libraries?*

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19. As a state lawmaker, what will you do to ensure that LGBTQ youth and students of LGBTQ parents aren’t stigmatized and will see themselves and the full diversity of our community in both curriculum and instruction?*

20. In December 2021, the Florida Department of Education removed all anti-bullying resources from its website because it included LGBTQ supportive materials. The Department later reinstated the anti-bullying resources, but only after stripping all LGBTQ-specific content. Anti-bullying resources are critically important for LGBTQ students, who are 5 times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers accroding to the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey–not because they are LGBTQ, but because of bullying and harassment that they face. Do you support requiring school districts to include specific protections against bullying and harassment on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin and disability?*

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21. Currently, Florida public schools are legally required to be open to all students. Current law also allows for private schools that receive tax payer funded school vouchers to legally discriminate against LGBTQ parents, LGBTQ students, and the parents of LGBTQ students. Do you support legislation banning LGBTQ discrimination at private schools who receive public funding through Florida’s state-run voucher program?*

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Gun Safety

On June 12, 2016, forty nine people were murdered with an assault rifle during Latin night at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando. Gun violence disproportionately impacts minority communities, and Black transgender women face particularly high risk.

22. Do you support laws banning the sale or transfer of military-style assault weapons and large capacity magazines?*

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23. Do you support laws requiring universal background checks on all firearm purchases?*

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24. Do you oppose the implementation of permitless carry gun policies in Florida that would remove background screening and training procedures for concealed carry?*

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In 2018, lawmakers passed SB7026 also known as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Portions of this law create the ‘Guardian Program’ which gives school districts discretionary authority to allow certain school faculty and staff members to conceal carry firearms on campus.

There is significant debate as to how we can best protect Florida students from active shooters. The “Guardian Program” has been highly critiqued for allowing civilians without appropriate training to bring firearms on campus. Others have critiqued the school to prison pipeline and the over emphasis of school districts on school resource officers. In the year 2021, 45% of school-aged youth who experienced an arrest in Florida were black. Evidence suggests a disproportionate number of Black children are being arrested at school for minor acts of misconduct, which we know also disproportionaltley effects LGBTQ youth of color.

25. What is your plan for ensuring schools are protected from active shooters? How do you plan to balance the need to protect students with the damage the school to prison pipeline can cause for our youth of color, and especially our LGBTQ youth?*

HIV Modernization

Under Florida law, people living with HIV can be found criminally liable for up to 30 years in prison if they do not disclose their HIV status to consensual partners before sexual contact, even if they practice safe sex and trasnmission does not occur. Furthermore, according to the CDC, people living with HIV who are in treatment and undetectable (the HIV virus is no longer detectable in body fluids) are unable to transmit HIV to a negative partner. These antiquated laws discourage testing and treatment because so long as a person does not know their HIV status, they cannot be found liable.

26. Do you support efforts to modernize Florida’s HIV-specific criminal laws to reflect advances in HIV treatment and prevention?*

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Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

27. Do you identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer? If so, please indicate below:*

Financial

28. What is the overall budget for the campaign?*

29. If you have a primary, what is your fundraising goal for the primary, and your goal for the general?*

30. How much has the campaign raised thus far? (required)*

31. Do you have an affiliated political committee? If so, what is its name and how much has the political committee raised thus far?*

Other

32. Please list other endorsements you have received:*

33. Is there anything else you would like us to know about why the LGBT community should support your candidacy?

Additional Comments (due to space limitations, comments may not be included in all candidate summaries):

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Signature/Date

By signing this questionnaire, you are stating that if selected you would accept Equality Florida’s public support and endorsement.*

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