The past few years have seen extraordinary progress on LGBTQ rights in this country. This progress is rooted in the same principles that underlie reproductive rights: that politicians should not get to decide what you do with your body or what your family looks like and that rights should not depend on the state in which you reside.
Despite the recent progress, in the past year we’ve seen truly appalling bills and rhetoric targeting the LGBTQ community – especially transgender and gender nonconforming people. This rhetoric has fueled both hate and violence for decades and it is no more clear or salient than in our own city of Orlando, as we continue to process the unthinkable tragic events that transpired in the early morning of June 12.
Pulse has served as a bastion for Central Florida’s LGBTQ community; this attack, specifically, at this location and during ‘Latin Night,’ is yet another stark reminder that with progress often comes extreme backlash. We must continue to deplore all acts of violence and embrace each individual in our community and around the world regardless of attribute. Only through an intersectional lens – one that recognizes the parallels between the challenges and adversaries that all marginalized populations face – will we be able to ensure that all people will have the ability to safely express themselves as their authentic selves and excel to their potential.
Legislative attacks and lack of protections for our LGBTQ community members make the situation in Florida even more dire. After the worst hate-crime in the nation’s history, besides offering his ‘thoughts and prayers,’ Governor Rick Scott has taken no action to protect the hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ citizens in the State of Florida. With a simple stroke of a pen – through executive order – he could prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression to all entities that contract with the State of Florida, as well as all State of Florida employees. Additionally, in this coming legislative session he could support the Florida Competitive Workforce Act (FCWA); a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in employment, housing and public accommodations. This bill has been introduced for years without any form of acknowledgement or support from him.
We see legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community that coincide with continued restrictions to access reproductive care too. At Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida we believe that reproductive rights are deeply connected to civil rights for all Americans. Everyone should be able to use the public restroom that corresponds with their gender identity, everyone deserves to feel safe when at a club, movie theatre or school and everyone deserves access to a full range of reproductive health care options.
Planned Parenthood has long stood with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the struggle for full equality — many of whom turn to our centers for health care, information and education – just as I did, as a young gay man. The LGBTQ community faces greater obstacles to obtaining and benefiting from sexual and reproductive health services than non-LGBTQ people. In addition to high rates of stress due to systematic harassment and discrimination — which has been shown to affect physical and mental health — LGBTQ people face low rates of health insurance coverage, high rates of HIV/AIDS and cancer and high rates of discrimination from medical providers. LGBTQ people of color face even higher risks and this is simply not acceptable.
This is why each of our eleven health centers throughout southwest and central Florida welcome LGBTQ patients. We also deliver sex education that covers the full range of topics affecting sexual health. We provide sensitive and accurate information, education and resources on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity to youth, parents and men and women of all ages every day. Partnerships are key to our work, and we are honored to work alongside groups like Equality Florida, the Harvey Milk Foundation and the LGBT Center of Central Florida.
This Pride Month, Planned Parenthood is proud to reaffirm our commitment to the rights and health of LGBTQ people. We stand with LGBTQ people and our doors are open to everyone.
Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida will continue to support any future legislative efforts that will allow for greater access to health care and resources for the LGBTQ community in our state. We see you. We care about you. We stand with you – no matter where you live, no matter what.
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