Equality Florida Institute Inc

CIVIL RIGHTS EDUCATION DEDICATED TO EQUALITY FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY

EDUCATION:SAFE & HEALTHY SCHOOLS- TRAINED 3,194 SCHOOL LEADERS IN LIFESAVING BEST PRACTICES FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH FOR A TOTAL OF 36,103 TRAINED SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION. THIS ALSO INCLUDES MORE THAN 160 CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATORS FROM FLORIDA'S DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH FAMILIES WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH SUPPORTING THEIR LGBTQ+ CHILD. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)- HOSTED THE 9TH ANNUAL ALL TOGETHER NOW: FOSTERING INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS FOR LGBTQ STUDENTS CONFERENCE. THE CONFERENCE HAD REPRESENTATION FROM OVER 30 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. A TOTAL OF 395 INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED FOR THE ONLINE TWO-DAY EVENT. WE HOSTED 18 BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND TWO WHOLE-GROUP PANEL DISCUSSIONS. THIS YEAR'S KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDED CATHERINE LHAMON, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR THE OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE U.S DOE, AND DR. FRANK WORRELL, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. OF THE PARTICIPANTS WHO TOOK THE POST-CONFERENCE SURVEY, 100% OF PEOPLE SAID THEY ARE LIKELY TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.- WORKED CLOSELY WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE LAWS THAT SPECIFICALLY IMPACT LGBTQ+ FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS, AND FAMILIES WERE INTERPRETED IN A NARROW MANNER. THESE STRATEGIC, ONGOING EFFORTS ENSURE THE WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCY OF LGBTQ+ STUDENTS AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO DISTRICT STAFF ON NAVIGATING THE VARIOUS LAWS. TO DATE, THERE ARE 7 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE EXPLICIT GUIDANCE RELATED TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF LGBTQ+ YOUTH.TRANSGENDER INCLUSION:- CONDUCTED 50+ TRANSGENDER COMPETENCY WORKSHOPS FOR FLORIDA'S MAJOR EMPLOYERS, WHICH INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, NONPROFITS, CORPORATIONS & GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. - CONDUCTED, FACILITATED &/OR PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS TOWN HALL AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS WITH EXPERT PANELISTS DISCUSSING VARIOUS TOPICS. THE TRANSACTION PARENT NETWORK WAS FORMED TO SUPPORT PARENTS OF TRANSGENDER AND NONBINARY YOUTH IN FLORIDA. TAPN HAS CONDUCTED VARIOUS VIRTUAL WEBINARS, INCLUDING A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EVENT WHICH REACHED OVER 200+ FAMILIES IN FLORIDA.- TRANSACTION FLORIDA WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PUBLIC POLICY TEAM TO MOBILIZE PARENTS OF TRANS AND NONBINARY YOUTH AND ACTIVISTS TO BOARD OF MEDICINE/BOARD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE AND MEDICAID/AHCA MEETINGS. HIV MODERNIZATION:- FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS AND ALLIES AND THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND AGENCY LEADERS TO DISCUSS POLICY PRIORITIES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS.- EQUALITY FLORIDA HAS SYSTEMATICALLY INCORPORATED HIV MODERNIZATION EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY INTO OUR WORK WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS. OUR TEAM REACHES OUT TO VIRTUALLY EVERY PROSPECTIVE STATE LAWMAKERHOUSE, SENATE, AND CABINETTO PROVIDE AN INITIAL BRIEFING ON THE NEED TO MODERNIZE HIV LAWS, SPECIFICALLY BY PLACING IT AS AN ISSUE AT THE CORE OF OUR EFFORTS TO EDUCATE NEW LAWMAKERS.- WE PARTNERED WITH AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION (AHF) TO BRING 60 ADVOCATESPRIMARILY PLWH AND THEIR ALLIES AND SERVICE PROVIDERSTO THE CAPITOL. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME MANY INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND A NUMBER WERE IMPRESSED BY HOW ACCESSIBLE LAWMAKERS WERE INSIDE THE CAPITOL.- WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE "EQUALITY FLORIDA HIV ADVOCACY GROUP" FACEBOOK PAGE OF 250 MEMBERS, WHERE INDIVIDUALS AND HIV-FOCUSED AND HIV-LED ORGANIZATIONS SHARE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION, PROMOTE OR LIVE STREAM COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND NETWORK VIRTUALLY, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.LGBTQ+ HEALTHCARE EQUITY:- IN 2022, EQUALITY FLORIDA'S STATEWIDE HEALTHCARE EQUITY INITIATIVE, DESIGNED TO BRING AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE TO THE FLORIDA LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, CONTINUED ITS EXPANSION TO MAJOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. WE HAVE NOW ESTABLISHED FOUR PARTNERSHIPS IN FLORIDA, FOCUSING ON THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA REGIONS.- A DEDICATED HEALTH EQUITY TRAINER HELD OVER 35 LGBTQ+ AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE TRAININGS WITH BROWARD HEALTH, QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY TRAINING OVER 700 STAFF, INCLUDING BROWARD HEALTH IMPERIAL POINT'S CEO, TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH EQUITY INDEX SCORE WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.- WE PARTNERED WITH THE SOUTH FLORIDA TRANSGENDER MEDICAL CONSORTIUM TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO 100 OF BROWARD HEALTH'S FRONTLINE MEDICAL STAFF.

ADVOCACY:LOCAL LEVEL:- HELPED PASS A REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS RESOLUTION IN LAUDERHILL, WHERE THE CITY COMMISSION STATED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE PROTECTION OF ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE RIGHTS. - ORGANIZED 12 RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAMS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL IN 6 COUNTIES (ORANGE, DUVAL, LEON, MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD, AND PALM BEACH). WITH EACH OF THESE MOBILIZATIONS, WE HAVE TURNED OUT BETWEEN 20 AND 50 TRAINED ACTIVISTS TO LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.STATE LEVEL: - LAUNCHED OUR FIRST-EVER CABLE TELEVISION ADS TO RAISE THE ALARM AND TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT GOVERNOR DESANTIS'S AGENDA OF CLASSROOM SURVEILLANCE, CURRICULUM CENSORSHIP, AND WHITEWASHING HISTORY. THE ADS, MY HEROES AND CONTENT OF OUR CURRICULUM, WON THE PRESTIGIOUS 2023 REED AWARDS FROM CAMPAIGN & ELECTIONS, THE PREMIER JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGN INDUSTRY, AND HELPED GARNER MORE THAN $2.57 BILLION IN EARNED MEDIA TO HELP EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE THREATS POSED BY THESE CLASSROOM CENSORSHIP POLICIES.FEDERAL LEVEL: - TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELPED A VOLUNTEER PUBLISH AN OP-ED IN THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER IN SUPPORT OF FEDERAL LGBTQ NONDISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS.

MOBILIZATION:- STAFFED 21 PRIDE FESTIVALS, RECRUITED 280 VOLUNTEERS THAT COLLECTED 9,530 PETITIONS.- HELD MONTHLY GENERAL VOLUNTEER TRAINING SESSIONS THAT TRAINED 223 NEW VOLUNTEER AND GOT THEM PLUGGED INTO OUR WORK.

OUTREACH:EQUALITY MEANS BUSINESS/OPEN DOORS- MAINTAINED OUR OPEN DOORS PROGRAM, A COALITION OF 2,312 MEMBERS OF SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE ADOPTED COMPREHENSIVE NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES.- IN MARCH 2022, WE HOSTED A VIRTUAL CONVENING OF CORPORATE EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS (ERGS) THAT CATERS TO LGBTQ BUSINESSPEOPLE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 40 INDIVIDUALS FROM CORPORATIONS LIKE CITRIX, FP&L, MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE, RAYMOND JAMES, AND AMGEN.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)- EXPANDED OUR "EQUALITY MEANS BUSINESS" COALITION TO 165 MAJOR CORPORATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISES.