Today marks a new beginning in the effort to pass gender identity or expression protections in Miami-Dade County. A growing coalition of organizations, businesses and community leaders today deepen our resolve to see Miami-Dade live up to its reputation as a diverse and inclusive community by ensuring our human rights ordinance is amended to ban discrimination against the transgender community.
The hateful rhetoric our opponents have broadcast in recent weeks has only made more clear the absolute necessity of protecting transgender people from discrimination and violence. By demonizing transgender people with their campaign of misinformation, they have made our community less safe and less kind, but we will not let their lies stand.
One of Miami-Dade’s greatest strengths is our diversity, and we know that an overwhelming majority of residents share our belief that all people, including the transgender community, must enjoy the same freedom from discrimination.
We support the strategic decision to postpone a vote on the inclusion of gender identity or expression in order to further educate the community and our elected officials about the need for these vital protections. The day is coming when Miami-Dade will join cities and counties throughout Florida and across the nation that have added these protections. We stand united in our commitment to invest the time and resources required to win.
We would like to thank Commissioners Audrey Edmonson, Bruno Barriero, Sally Heyman and Barbara Jordan for their leadership and continued support.
And we invite everyone who values fairness and equality to stand with us today. We need you. We have faced bigoted attacks in the past, and we know that by standing together we will win.
They may slow us down, but they will never turn us back. And we will never stop fighting until every member of our community is fully protected.
In Solidarity,
http://www.savedade.org
http://www.hrc.org
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