In a surprising move, the recent Lincoln Day Dinner in Orange County, Florida saw 22 Republican leaders banding together to sign a resolution in support of LGBTQ rights. What does this mean for LGBTQ people in the state of Florida?
Shortly after the Pulse shooting on June 12, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs sat down in an emotional interview with WESH 2 News.
In this interview, she stated that the Pulse tragedy forced her to reassess her beliefs about LGBTQ people. This recent resolution arose out of a promise Jacobs made to the families of the victims that she would:
“…Do everything I could to make sure … that their lives and their love changes something for the better.”
Initially, the Orange County Republican Party planned to make a donation to the OneOrlando Fund to help victims of the tragedy. The dinner not only raised $15,000 for OneOrlando, but also resulted in a concrete show of support from local Republicans.
The resolution created by the Orange County Mayor states that those who sign it:
“…Support efforts of Florida businesses and individuals to pass legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identification.”
Republican Governor Rick Scott headlined the event. He was not asked to sign the resolution, but did not object to speaking, even though he was made aware of it beforehand. His stance on this resolution is currently unknown. Gov. Scott’s history is at odds with it, though.
This resolution is not a law, and it’s not necessarily a call to action either.
What it does mean, however, is that these 22 state and local leaders will support the passing of laws banning discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
This alone is astonishing.
Some question whether it goes far enough to spark real change for LGBTQ rights in Florida. As of now, nothing has changed. When anti-discrimination legislation does come up in the future, however, it will be more likely to pass with the support of influential people in the Republican party.
Republican leaders are showing that the Republican Party in Florida is deeply affected by the Pulse shooting. This is a step towards change, if only a small one. It seems that they’ve finally realized what we in the LGBTQ community have been trying to tell them all along.
As Teresa Jacobs stated in her interview when speaking about the LGBTQ community:
“They’re just people.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uxjSYxCGnY
Featured Image:Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
