Tag Archives: Florida

Via Think Progress: Florida state Rep. Donald Brown (R) introduced a bill last week to create a “Confederate Heritage” license plate for the state. Saying “it would give motorists a way to show pride in their heritage,” Brown proposes a $25 charge for motorists to purchase a plate with “a shield displaying the rebel battle flag symbol surrounded by several …

From Fort Lauderdale: The shooting death of a gay teenage boy who was dressed in women’s clothing is being investigated as a possible hate crime, while detectives try to determine whether he was targeted because of his sexual orientation. Simmie Williams Jr., 17, was attacked on the 1000 block of Sistrunk Boulevard by two young men who wore dark clothing …

Fidel Castro, 81, announced his retirement in Cuba’s Granma newspaper today. The world’s longest-serving president, Castro has been ruling Cuba for almost 49 years. Reaction in Miami was surprisingly muted: A few people waved flags or honked their cars’ horns, but little jubilation seemed evident as regular customers trickled into the Versailles and other restaurants and open-air coffee stands along …

Yay for my hometown some place I lived for a number of years: Broward County Florida voted to pass transgender protections yesterday. It is now illegal to discriminate against transgender people in housing, the workplace, and in public accommodations like hotels and restaurants. The protections voted in by country commissioners are an expansion of Broward’s 1995 human rights ordinance, which …

A state appellate court has ruled that all public and private employers in New York must now recognize same-sex couples legally married elsewhere. A New York appellate court ruled Friday that valid out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples must be legally recognized in New York, just as the law recognizes those of heterosexual couples solemnized elsewhere. Lawyers for both sides said …

On behalf of a 16 year-old named Heather Gillman, the ACLU is suing a Florida high school for suppression of free speech. This comes after school officials ruled that any declaration of support for gay rights, such as a rainbow sticker on a notebook or saying “I support gay people” were signs that the students belonged to a “secret/illegal organization.” …

The ad for the Winter Party that appears on this and many other blogs this month has been nagging me to mention that despite the recent spate of stories about the dwindling of gay nightlife, the Winter Party Festival continues to thrive. This March will see the 15th annual Winter Party, an event I’ve attended more times than any other …

No surprises in Florida: MIAMI — Senator John McCain edged out Mitt Romney to win the delegate-rich Florida primary on Tuesday night, solidifying his transformation from left-for-dead candidate to a front-runner and dealing a devastating blow to the presidential hopes of Rudolph W. Giuliani, whose distant finish here threatened to doom his candidacy. Mr. McCain’s narrow victory showed he could …

John McCain’s campaign is homophobo-robo-calling Florida voters to put the fear of Jeebus in them regarding Mitt Romney’s former support for gay rights. The transcript of the call: “I’m calling with an urgent Mitt Romney [unintelligible]” “We care deeply about traditional values and protecting families. And we need someone who will not waver in the White House: Ending abortion, preserving …

It’s good-bye Rudy Tuesday. After his expected trouncing in today’s Florida primary, Rudy Giuliani will likely endorse John McCain. Yesterday Giuliani gave autographed baseballs to the reporters covering his campaign as a good-bye gift. I got yer good-bye right here, you asshat.

Equality Florida is asking legislators to not support a gay rights bill because it does not include gender identity protections. Gay political organizations are clashing over the best way to pass GLBT-friendly anti-discrimination bills through the Florida Legislature. The head butting is taking on strategic tones similar to those that emerged last year in the fight over the Employment Non-Discrimination …

Some happy news from my hometown: ORLANDO – When her lone opponent dropped out of the race, Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan was left sitting on a pile of campaign cash with no campaign to spend it on. The law allows candidates to distribute their unused contributions to charities of their choice. On Tuesday, Sheehan presented a check for $25,000, …

Whoa, not so fast there, haters. Organizers of the ballot measure to ban gay marriage in Florida claimed in November that they’d succeeded in raising the necessary signatures to force the issue to a statewide vote. Turns out, maybe they haven’t. A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Florida may not make it to voters this year, after …

JMG reader Andy reports today that Coliseum, the last big gay dance club in Fort Lauderdale, has closed. The legendary Fort Lauderdale Copa closed after 30 years in 2005 due to damage from Hurricane Wilma. I think there may be one or two smaller gay places with dance floors still around, but they are 2am clubs, not one of the …

NAACP head Julian Bond has joined the fight against Florida’s coming statewide ballot on marriage equality. Julian Bond, an icon in the civil rights movement for nearly 50 years and longtime national Chairman of the NAACP, has stepped into a leadership role with the Fairness for All Families Campaign the statewide coalition effort to defeat the deceptively named “Florida Marriage …

Disgusting story in Orlando: A man was arrested on child abuse charges after he beat a 7-year-old boy with a belt because the child put pink fingernail polish on his own nails, according to Orange County sheriff’s deputies. Aundre Jermaine Hill, 25, was arrested on Saturday at about 5:19 p.m. after sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in reference to …

Florida’s secretary of state announced yesterday that the anti-gay group Florida4Marriage has collected enough signatures to force their anti-gay marriage amendment onto the state ballot next year. Equality Florida and the ACLU will challenge the petition in court. Those opposing the amendment claim it could not only ban gay marriage but could repeal domestic partners benefits statewide, including those for …

Poor Ann Coulter is so upset by her hate mail that she has had her address removed from the public record in Palm Beach County, Florida. People who petition the county can have their homes removed from the property appraisers’ rolls if they can demonstrate they are the victims of stalking or harassment. Coulter, 45, has called Democratic presidential candidate …

In an effort to stem public sex on the beach, officials in Martin County, Florida are considering installing “talking” motion-detecting surveillance cameras. Upon detecting movement, the cameras would flash a bright light and play a pre-recorded announcement that the area was under surveillance. Recording would begin 30 seconds later. Martin County arrested six men in an undercover beach sex sting …

Disgraced Florida Republican legislator Bob Allen resigned late on Friday shortly after his conviction for soliciting tearoom sex from an undercover cop. Allen was sentenced to six months probation and must pay court costs and fines. The judge ordered Allen to undergo tests for HIV and STDs and to take a class on HIV awareness. He was also told to …