To the Editor:
The Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus is appalled at the introduction of HB599 by the Florida GOP. The proposed legislation, entitled “Gender Identity Employment Practices,” targets government employees, defined broadly to include contractors and employees of “the state or any county, municipality, or special district or any subdivision or agency” and Florida-based non-profit organizations.
HB599 establishes that “an employee or contractor may not provide to an employer his or her preferred personal title or pronouns if such preferred personal title or pronouns do not correspond to his or her sex.” In addition, HB599 introduces protections for employees holding “deeply held religious or biology-based beliefs, including a belief in traditional or Biblical views of sexuality or marriage.”
The legislation is an egregious attempt to erode LGBTQ+ Floridians legal protections. HB599 is about more than just restricting pronouns. This expansion of government control is about removing and discouraging transgender Floridians from participating in public service roles and censoring the missions of Florida’s nonprofits of which the DeSantis administration disagrees. This is a disturbing escalation of right-wing extremism in Florida and an aggressive acceleration by the DeSantis administration in its continued attempt to censor and erase our existence. We call on our community and our allies to stay vigilant in the face of these attacks on LGBTQ+ Floridians ahead of the convening of Florida’s 2024 Legislative Session on Jan. 9. We encourage active participation in our democracy as we mobilize to stop the heinous anti-LGBTQ+ agenda from becoming the law of Florida.
Nathan Bruemmer
President of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus