An LGBTQ advocacy organization in Florida expressed strong opposition on Tuesday to what it termed an “alarming slate” of bills filed for the 2024 legislative session. Joe Saunders, senior political director for Equality Florida, outlined the organization’s stance against 22 bills that, according to him, “attack the freedoms, the rights, and dignity of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Floridians.”
Among the bills opposed by Equality Florida are two identical pieces of legislation (HB 599 and SB 1382) that propose restrictions on using personal pronouns within government agencies. If enacted, these bills would prevent state and local government agencies from mandating employees and contractors to use personal titles or pronouns that do not align with a person’s sex as determined at birth.
Additionally, Equality Florida is challenging two House bills referred to as “trans-erasure” bills by the radical left. One of these bills (HB 1233) seeks to prohibit the state from issuing driver’s licenses or identification cards with a sex designation different from the one specified on the person’s original certificate of live birth.
The other bill (HB 1639) aims to compel health insurance policies covering “sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures” to include coverage for “treatment to detransition from the sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures.”
Issues related to gender identity have been prominent in recent years, sparking significant political debates in Florida’s Capitol. During a news conference at the Capitol, Joe Saunders, a former state House member and Equality Florida’s senior political director, emphasized public dissatisfaction with what he sees as government intrusion into private lives. The 60-day legislative session commenced last week.
