The Florida Commission on Human Relations signals move for Sweeping LGBTQ Equality

Queer News Tonight comes on the air this evening to report that today, In a victory for LGBTQ Floridians, the agency that enforces state civil rights law has affirmed that discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal. The Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) has issued a notice formally announcing its intent to fully implement the US Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County and investigate claims of anti-LGBTQ discrimination. We believe is the first state in the deep south to enact such a sweeping anti discrimination position.
Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida has said this evening “This is a huge win and cause for celebration statewide. Any LGBTQ person anywhere in Florida who experiences discrimination now has a path to pursue justice. The U.S. Supreme Court declared that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal and the agency that enforces civil rights protections for all Floridians has made it clear they will follow the law of the land.” The FCHR decision comes in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court decision in June of that held discrimination on the basis of “sex” is inclusive of discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
This ruling is the basis of President Biden’s historic extensions by Executive Order to extend these protections for LGBTQ persons into all aspects of our lives. Commissioner Monica Cepero, who made the motion to affirm the Bostock ruling, praised her colleagues for clarifying fundamental protections for the LGBTQ community. In a first for over 800,000 LGBTQ Floridians, the decision provides those who experience discrimination an official state channel through which to file a claim and affords them the full protection of Florida’s civil rights laws.