We area unity coalition of individuals and community organizations dedicated to the pursuit of equality and dignity for all LGBT Floridians. We stand united in this common purpose, and we encourage other likeminded people throughout Central Florida to join us. (To join our email list, please contact us at the bottom of the page.) _______________________
The State of Florida still endorses anti-gay discrimination. The City of Orlando DOES NOT.
Overwhelming First Week for DP Registry! Over 140 couples have made reservations at City Hall, over 80 couples have registered in the first week! (Numbers provided by Orlando city officials to OADO)
Olen and Jeff, life partners of 30 years, officially registered this week
Register your relationship with the City of Orlando now, no matter where you live. It will assure that in times of crisis you will be treated as family to each other while you are hospitalized within the city limits. Keep writing Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and tell her that she must extend the registry to all establishments in the county to assure that our families are treated with respect and dignity - like all families.
Jacobs Will Support a County Registry? (Jan. 13, 2012) In an exclusive interview Friday with O Sentinel reporter David Damron, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs says she now realizes that an ordinance must be in place to secure enforceable rights for unmarried couples when it comes to hospital visitation, health care decisions, funerals, etc. Does this mean she will now support a domestic partnership registry for Orange County? Mayor Jacobs said,
"I want to make sure that if I adopt something, it does something meaningful and worthwhile. At this point, based on the level of research that we've conducted, the ordinance would be helpful." Only an ordinance would provide enforceable rights, another beneficiary agreement would not.
The Mayor has been moved by the many stories shared with her by the community, but she is still reticent about using the term "domestic partners." This story is still evolving, stay tuned...
A City Hall Love Fest in Orlando (January 12, 2012) With a harpist playing beautifully in the atrium downstairs at City Hall, couples upstairs were lined up to enter the City Clerk's office and sign their domestic partnership forms. Mayor Dyer and city staff were wearing red in solidarity, and dozens of TV, radio and print journalists were everywhere. What a great day! Thank you OADO and the Orlando community for getting us to this place. Maybe one day in our lifetime full equality will be ours!!
Mayor Jacobs Kills County DP Registry - Sides with Stemberger! (January 10, 2012) Teresa Jacobs decided to kill a countywide DP registry and instead opted for homophobe John Stemberger's idea. On June 21, 2011, anti-gay activist John Stemberger appeared at a county hearing and asked Jacobs not to pursue a county DP registry and not to recognize gay families. He then introduced the idea that gay couples simply need another worthless piece of paper called a "beneficiary agreement," not legally enforceable rights like those granted to the community by the City of Orlando through their DP registry. Jacobs clearly tried to pull a fast one by unveiling her Stemberger Plan at a surprise press conference just 2 hours prior to OADO's community town hall event at The Center - where Jacobs' disingenuous spin was evicerated by OADO members. Read Billy Manes account of the Jacobs press conference: http://blogs.orlandoweekly.com/index.php/2012/01/breaking-teresa-jacobs-will-not-pursue-domestic-partner-registry/
Orlando DP Registry Passes, 7-0 Vote! (Dec. 12, 2011) The Orlando City Council voted unanimously in favor of Central Florida's domestic partnership registry Monday afternoon. The news was met with a standing ovation from a sea of red-clad supporters who filled the chamber. The registry will become available on January 12, 2012 and will provide 7 key protections for unmarried parters, gay and straight. We urge all same-sex couples across the state, nation and world who visit Orlando to register your partnership with the City!
Move the slider in 55 minutes and watch the City Council vote unanimously in favor of the historic Orlando Domestic Partnership Registry on December 12: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT_6KJdtOls
Celebrating at City Hall after the vote!
"There are economic reasons to pass this ordinance, but that's not why I'm so supportive of it. I'm supportive of this ordinance because it's simply the right thing to do and it's the right time to do it, and I hope that Orange County will join us." Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Dec 5th City Council Hearing regarding the DP Registry
Orlando Sentinel editors say "overdue" domestic partnership registry is about "fundamental fairness" and urges Orange County to stop dragging its feet and join Orlando. (Dec. 3, 2011)
Orlando Mayor Dyer Wants to Pass The DP Registry Now - Public Hearing #1 on December 5 @ 2pm, City Hall...
OADO COMMUNITY AND MEDIA ADVISORY
(November 23, 2011)
OADO ANNOUNCES DECEMBER HEARING DATES FOR ORLANDO DP REGISTRY AND RECOGNIZES ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER AND ORLANDO CITY COMMISSION FOR LEADERSHIP ON ADVANCING LGBT EQUALITY
The Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee ("OADO") proudly announces that the City of Orlando’s proposed domestic partnership registry has been set for public hearings and vote on December 5 and 12, at 2:00, at Orlando City Hall. OADO is a group of concerned citizens who organized in 2000 to volunteer our time and efforts to secure protections, rights and benefits for Central Florida LGBT residents. Our membership reflects a representative cross-section of the broader community, and includes leaders of many civic, service, and civil rights organizations. We have no party affiliation and we make no candidate endorsements. We do, however, recognize and applaud public officials who support the LGBT community. OADO is honored to recognize Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and the Orlando City Commission.
Because of Mayor Dyer’s efforts and support, the City of Orlando is poised to become the first municipality in Central Florida to implement a Domestic Partnership Registry. The Registry will officially recognize LGBT families and provide them with a number of very important rights and benefits, including the right to visit each other in medical and correctional facilities, to make healthcare and funeral decisions for each other, and to participate in the educational activities of their partner’s children. In working with OADO on this project, Mayor Dyer took the initiative to call on Orange County government to jointly implement a countywide registry, and we are hopeful that Orange County will soon follow Orlando’s lead and extend these important rights to the County’s 1.2 million residents. Mayor Dyer also personally promoted the registry to ensure that it would have institutional community support.
OADO is very grateful to Mayor Dyer for his leadership on this landmark achievement. And we appreciate his historically consistent and courageous support of the LGBT community as documented below:
First and only Central Florida Mayor to publicly endorse and appear at Come Out With Pride and Orlando Gay Days
First Central Florida Mayor to publicly endorse Equality Florida and serve as Honorary Host of Equality Florida’s annual Gala
As candidate for Mayor, he defended the Orlando Chapter 57 Human Rights Ordinance (which added protections for sexual orientation) from an election-year repeal effort
Implemented domestic partner benefits for City of Orlando employees
Successfully advocated for domestic partner benefits for Orlando Utilities Commission
Publicly opposed the 2008 "Marriage Protection Amendment" which enshrined marriage inequality in the Florida Constitution
Publicly opposed Florida’s anti-gay adoption statute and called for its repeal
Issued public statements condemning anti-gay hate crimes and vandalism
Issued City Proclamation condemning the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) anti-gay bus tour and supported LGBT counter-events, proclaiming the day "Celebrate Our Families Day" for LGBT families
Publically called on Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty to support the Orange County Human Rights Ordinance and Domestic Partner benefits
Is currently poised to implement historic Domestic Partner Registry for Orlando
OADO is proud to partner with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in implementation of the historic Domestic Partnership Registry, and looks forward to working with him and the Orlando City Commission on future advances for the LGBT community.
OADO’s efforts working with local government officials over the past decade have achieved the following local legislation and policy advances:
2000: City of Orlando Personnel Policies added sexual orientation to discrimination policy
2002: Chapter 57 for the City of Orlando added sexual orientation to discrimination ordinance
2003: Orange County Employee Personnel Policies added sexual orientation to discrimination policy
2004: Orange County Sheriff's Office Employee Personnel Policies added sexual orientation to discrimination policy
2004: Orange County Sheriff's Office Profiling Policy added sexual orientation
2005: Orange County Public Schools Code of Ethics added sexual orientation
2006: Orange County Fair Housing Ordinance added sexual orientation and gender identity
2008: City of Orlando Employee Personnel Policies & Union Contracts added Domestic Partnership benefits
2010: Orange County Procurement Policy amended to require contractors to cover sexual orientation and gender identity in their discrimination policies
2010: Orange County Human Rights Ordinance included sexual orientation and gender identity
2011: Orange County Employee Personnel Policies added Domestic Partnership benefits
Please plan to attend the public hearings on December 5 & 12 at 2pm at Orlando City Hall. And please wear red in solidarity.
Orlando's DP Registry will be historic for Central Florida. We need members and allies of the Orlando LGBT community to make your voices heard. Please write the Mayor and the City Commissioners and tell them why your family needs this important DP registry, and thank them for their support!
Unmarried couples, gay and straight, often have no way to protect their families without a domestic partner registry. They are invaluable in states where no legal recognition is otherwise available for unmarried people. These registries allow couples, gay and straight, to register their relationships with their local governmental authority, and thereby receive various rights and benefits, including the following:
The authority as a spouse to make health care decisions for a domestic partner (or child of a DP) that is incapacitated and unable to make such decisions for themselves.
The ability to participate in the education of a dependent of a DP as a parent to participate in the education of their child.
The right to make decisions with regard to funeral/burial decisions as a surviving spouse.
In any situation providing for mandatory or permissible notification of family members, including in emergency situations, such notification would include registered DPs.
Becoming designated as a preneed guardian for their DP and to serve in such capacity.
Health care facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, surgical centers, etc) and correctional facilities (prisons and county jails) would be required to allow registered DPs (and their children) the same visitation rights as a spouse.
These are critical rights, desperately needed by our community. We all know a friend or colleague or family member whose life has been devastated by the denied access to their life partner in the hospital, denied the right to make funeral arrangements when their partner dies, denied the basic courtesy of even being notified that their partner has been injured or has died.
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COWP - Well Worth the Wait! (Nov. 16) We waited a month for the rescheduled Come Out With Pride celebration on Sunday, and it was a huge success! The crowd was 85,000 strong - larger than last year and amazing in size considering this event was rescheduled. The atmosphere was ebullient throughout Lake Eola Park. Many, many thanks and kudos to Gina, Mikael and the rest of their crew for a wonderful, positive day of LGBT energy. For more, read the Watermark: http://www.watermarkonline.com/w-news/orlando/item/6845-85k-celebrate-at-rescheduled-cowp
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Eq Fl's Joe Saunders
Happy OADO members
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Scott Maxwell, Nadine Smith & Cheryl Grieb at EQ FL Gala
Equality Florida Breaks Orlando Record! (Nov 7) Equality Florida raised over $100,000 Saturday night at the annual Orlando Gala, the largest amount ever raised in Orlando. A crowd of 300 filled the room at the Orlando Museum of Art. Notables in the crowd included City Commissioners Sam Ings and Phil Diamond, County Commissioners Louis Damiani and Jennifer Thompson, and media folks like Tom Dyer and Billy Manes. Voice of Equality awards were presented to Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell and Kissimmee City Commissioner Cheryl Grieb.
Holocaust Center Reacts to Anti-Gay Teacher Jerry Buell
(Oct. 6) In response to the anti-gay tirade initiated by Lake County's "Teacher-of-the-Year," Jerry Buell, the Holocaust Center in Maitland has offered to provide sensitivity training to teachers and students in Lake County Schools. "If he is making disrespectful remarks toward students then what's to keep a student from doing that too," said Pam Kancher, Ex. Dir. of the Holocaust Memorial and Education Center. "What are we teaching our kids about respect for differences and civic discourse?" http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-jerry-buell-holocaust-20111006,0,629091.story
John Stemberger Now Engaged in Opposition to DP Registry
(June 21) John Stemberger officially went on record this morning before the Orange County Commission in opposition to an Orlando-Orange County domestic partner registry. The homophobe community is now engaged.
Mary Meeks, Gina Duncan and Kathryn Norsworthy, three members of the Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee, also spoke before the Orange County Commission this morning urging all members to support Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's intention to create a domestic partner registry for Central Florida. Mayor Dyer recently wrote Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs suggesting that they work together on one registry so as to cover more people and not be duplicative. Mayor Jacobs expressed to Dyer that she had no time to address this issue currently, but would take it up at a later date after Mayor Dyer had initiated work on a city-only registry. She reiterated that opinion this morning, saying that to do it right would require more research and discussion, and that it would have to wait until later in the year when staff and time could be allocated to it.
John Stemberger, president of Florida Family Policy Council and co-father of Florida's anti-gay Amendment 2, spoke to the commission and disingenuously stated that gay couples can simply execute documents to secure rights like visitation and funerals - an outright lie. He of course sees no need for a registry and falsely expressed that our community would be opposed to a registry that would include straight unmarried couples. (We are in favor of an inclusive registry for all unmarried couples, straight or gay.)
One Orlando and OADO will be undertaking an educational campaign to make information available to all in and out of the community about the potential benefits of a domestic partner registry. We need your voices! Stay tuned here.
Orlando Sentinel Urges Mayors Dyer & Jacobs to Work Together on DP Registry
(June 16 Editorial)
Coming together
Here's a way for Central Florida's high-profile but estranged couple — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs — to show the region they can work together. They can craft a domestic-partner registry, applicable in both their jurisdictions, which would give unmarried couples legal rights to visit their hospitalized partners and make funeral arrangements for their partners. It also could allow them to pick up a partner's child from school. The registry would apply to straight and gay couples.
Dyer and Jacobs agree it makes sense for them to work on establishing a registry together. But Jacobs says the county may not be able to act for several months.
Other Florida communities, from Broward and Miami-Dade counties to cities including Gainesville and West Palm Beach, have found the time to pass registries. It's time our leaders did, too.
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Reading Between the Letters: Mayors Dyer and Jacobs Differ on Urgency of Need for Domestic Partner Registry...
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (D) wrote a letter on May 17 to Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs (R) urging her to work with the city this summer on creating a unified domestic partner registry for all citizens of Orlando and Orange County so as not to duplicate efforts. Mayor Jacobs wrote a letter on June 14 to Mayor Dyer stating that the DP registry is not an immediate priority for the county - tells the city to proceed without county for now.
DP Benefits for Orange County Sheriff's Department
(June 7, 2011)
Orange County Sheriff's Office to Provide Domestic Partner Benefits! Unlike all other Orange County workers, the Sheriff's Office is a separate entity and maintains separate policies for their employees. So when Orange County voted in April to provide domestic partner benefits to county employees, LGBT employees of the Sheriff's Office were excluded from the celebration, even though they were present in the commission chamber on that glorious day. OADO (the Orlando Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Committee) immediately reached out to the Orange County Sheriff's Office and encouraged and facilitated policy discussions. Now OADO can report that the Sheriff's Office will provide DP benefits that will match that of Orange County, and enrollment will begin in October (to go in effect January 2012). Congratulations to all OADO members who were involved in this important work! (And you know who you are.) We thank Sheriff Demings and the fine people at OCSO for their commitment to fairness and equality. __________________________________
Volusia County Passes Inclusive HRO! (May 20) Volusia joined Orange County in passing a human rights ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The most surprising thing about the Daytona Beach News Journal account of the commission meeting was how non-controversial the vote was. Banning discrimination against the LGBT community was not even the lead. A vote on a new grass landing strip in Samsula led the story. My how times have changed... http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2011/05/20/volusia-bans-discrimination-based-on-sexual-orientation-gender-identity.html _______________________________
NY Activists Get Marriage Help from Business Community Gay rights in Florida will go nowhere until our leading advocacy organizations engage state and national business leaders to speak out on our behalf. The folks in NY figured that out. A powerful letter was delivered to Gov. Andrew Cuomo encouraging marriage equality, signed by some of the nation's most powerful business leaders...
Many employers have adopted non-discrimination policies and extended domestic partner benefits long before most cities and states passed them into law. As New Yorkers and business leaders, we believe that attracting talent is key to our state’s economic future. We strongly urge New York State to enact marriage equality legislation to help maintain our competitive advantage in attracting the best and brightest people the world has to offer and to reaffirm our commitment to both freedom and fairness.
Among the signers...
Lloyd Blankfein, CEO Sachs Phillippe Dauman, CEO Viacom Thomas Glocer, CEO Reuters Klaus Kleinfeld, CEO Alcoa Jess Staley, CEO JP Morgan Chase Mortimer Zuckerman, Chairman, New York Daily News
(Many of these people are political conservatives)
It's time to engage the business community in the fight for equality in Florida.
Southern Baptist Watch Why is a 19th century church making public policy in Florida in the 21st century?
There is no greater threat to the civil rights of LGBT people and women than the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. They are actively engaged in Tallahassee where they have been welcomed by our conservative government to help make public policy. The SBC is opposed to all civil rights protections for LGBT people, and is still advocating for a new anti-gay adoption measure. The SBC was also behind all 18 anti-choice bills of the 2011 Legislature. Additionally, legislative leaders Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos are both members of Southern Baptist churches.
Facts About Florida's Southern Baptists: Have employed a lobbyist in Tallahassee for 16 years. Were credited by John Stemberger for the passage of Amendment 2 in 2008. Have over 2,300 churches and 1 million members in Florida. Encourage families to send gay children to "reparative therapy" to be "cured." Believe women "should submit graciously to their husbands" who are to lead the family. Only allow men to lead their congregations. Condemn feminism. Vowed they will never honor any legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Encourage political actions against LGBT equality. Define same-sex relationships as "wicked," "of the devil," "perverted," "abominations."
For more on the Southern Baptist conspiracy in Florida politics, please read:
The ACLU is screening an updated version of "In Anita's Wake: The Irrational War on Florida's Gay Families." The new 49 minute version includes the two recent appellate court rulings, the results and possible implications of the November elections, and a new effort by anti-gay activists to again write discrimination into Florida law.
This edition can be viewed at your convenience at www.VickiNantzFilms.com. We encourage LGBT-affirming organizations and educators to view and share this film.
If you thought adoption discrimination was over, think again!
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
(Feb 1) Haridopolos - Scott Can Challenge Ruling Senate President Mike Haridopolos thinks Gov. Scott can challenge the appellate adoption ruling. Will wait & see court actions before suggesting legislative solution. http://www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=12588&fp=Y
(Jan 26) Baptists Call for Reinstated Adoption Ban The editorial in the "Florida Baptist Witness" newspaper calls on Governor Scott and DCF chief, David Wilkins, to reinstate adoption discrimination. http://www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=12555&fp=Y
(Jan 25)House Speaker Dean Cannon Wants Scott & DCF to Enforce Ban In an interview with the Florida Baptist Witness, House Speaker, Dean Cannon, wants the governor to enforce the adoption ban. If he won't, the Legislature may step in... http://www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=12551
Scott Opens the Door to New Anti-Gay Adoption Bigotry (Jan. 20, 2011)
Rick Scott has replaced Department of Children & Families chief, George Sheldon, with corporate executive & fundamentalist Southern Baptist, David Wilkins. Wilkins is the finance chief of the Florida Baptist Children's Home - a Baptist social agency which only allows "professing Christians" to adopt children. The appointment is sending shivers down the backs of all who celebrated the end of Florida's 1977 anti-gay adoption statute, and clearly changes the landscape ahead. George Sheldon, you may recall, chose not to appeal the September Gill appellate ruling which affirmed the unconstitutionality of Florida's adoption ban. Because the ruling was not appealed to the Supreme Court, the statute could no longer be enforced - although it remains on the state books. Wilkins and Scott will both be able to pursue measures to create another discriminatory adoption policy. It should be remembered that candidate Scott told the Baptist Witness last summer that he believes gays and lesbians should not be able to adopt children or be foster parents. Scott also attended a private, unannounced meeting with Baptist leaders on the morning of his inauguration.
FLORIDA STILL LAGS FAR BEHIND IN EQUALITY Despite any minimal gains made since 1977, Florida still lags many states in the nation in equality for LGBT citizens.
1) Florida, by constitutional amendment, bans any and all legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
No marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships (and none are recognized from other states or nations).
2) Florida has no statewide employment discrimination protections for LGBT people whatsoever. (And local ordinances are often limited to superficial, inconsequential fines without judicial remedy.)
3) Florida's hate crime law includes only sexual orientation, but not gender identity.
4) Florida's 1977 anti-gay adoption statute is still on the books and is currently not being enforced only because of the September 3rd District Court of Appeal ruling (Gill). Talk is underway to introduce a new anti-gay measure that will presumably be supported by new anti-gay governor Rick Scott, and our anti-gay Republican-led state legislature.
National Ratings...
eQualityGiving.org rates equality of states on a 0-6 scale, 6 being the highest rating of LGBT equality. Florida currently has a 2.5 rating out of 6 points on the equality scale. Currently 22 states out of 50 have a rating of 3 or higher and are thereby designated as being more equal for LGBT people than the State of Florida.
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Watch the November Orange County HRO Hearing For anyone who missed the Orange County Commission's public hearing on November 23 regarding the vote on the new inclusive county human rights ordinance, please go to this link, item "J" at the bottom of the page. Must-see viewing...wonderful speeches by some inspiring people in our community...
(Nov 23, 2010) By a 6-1 vote, Orange County Commissioners passed a human rights ordinance Tuesday that protects Orange County's LGBT citizens from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Commission Chamber was packed with enthusiastic red-shirted supporters (approx 150), 19 of whom asked to address the Commissioners to express their support for the ordinance (there was no opposition). Among the speakers were State Representative Scott Randolph and Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan who urged passage of the ordinance. Commissioner Linda Stewart was given the honor of formally proposing the motion, which was then seconded by Bill Segal. Both Commissioners spoke eloquently about the historic nature of this landmark accomplishment. With tears, Commissioner Stewart thanked the Central Florida LGBT community for their determined fight for equality and for their support of her efforts. She thanked Mayor Crotty for expediting the process to pass the HRO, and the crowd appreciatively gave the outgoing mayor a standing ovation. Commissioner Stewart also recognized incoming Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who was in attendance, for her support of the HRO and her pledge to enact domestic partner benefits for county employees when she takes office in January. County Comptroller Martha Haynie, who normally only addresses budgetary issues of proposed commission actions, addressed the room and said that she was proud to be there, wearing red in support of the ordinance, and then spoke of her admiration for all who had come to speak to the Board about their personal experiences.
The only disappointment of the night was Commissioner Fred Brummer's disingenuous eleventh-hour attempt to water down the protections in the ordinance, before ultimately scowling and casting the lone "no" vote. (Let's not forget that Brummer is the former ultra conservative State Representative from District 38 who has a long history of NOT supporting LGBT civil rights.) When Mayor Crotty announced the passage of the ordinance, the crowd erupted into an extended joyous celebration (that continued with group photos on the south lawn, and then a party at Hamburger Mary's).
Those in attendance at Tuesday's hearing included student and faculty contingents from Rollins College, UCF, Barry Law School, and volunteer sign-language interpreters from Valencia CC. Representatives from allied organizations OADO, ACLU, PFLAG, Equality Florida, MBA, The Center, OYA, Joy MCC, Orlando UU, Hope Unites, CFGALLA (gay lawyers group), and One Orlando were also in the Commission Chamber. Media included WESH, WKMG, News 13, WDBO, Orlando Sentinel, and Watermark.
Thank you to all who were there and who have contributed to this effort. This was a great victory and we should be proud of our community and thankful for our political leaders and other allies!!
Justice for Ryan... Hear Assistant State Attorney Cass Castillo and Circuit Judge J. Michael Hunter condemn the anti-gay hatred behind the murder of Polk County's Ryan Skipper. William Brown and Joseph Bearden were both found guilty and sentenced to life prison in 2009.
Labor Union Members Rally Against Hate... After an incident of anti-gay vandalism at The Center of Central Florida, allies from many organized labor groups staged a November rally in support of the LGBT community.
Vigil for Craig Cohen... On October 15, 2009, a candlelight vigil was held in Orlando for hate crime murder victim Craig Cohen of South Florida.
Milk at Come Out with Pride '09... Harvey's nephew, Stuart Milk, addressed the crowd at Orlando's 2009 Come Out with Pride on Sunday, October 11.
The Genesis of One Orlando... A united LGBT community gathered outside Orlando City Hall to protest the passage of Amendment 2, Florida's same-sex marriage ban, in November 2008.
