Vice President Kamala Harris after the Sept. 10 debate. (Photo via Harris’ Facebook)
ST. PETERSBURG | Equality Florida formally endorsed Kamala Harris Sept. 9 ahead of her debate with Donald Trump, not long after LGBTQ+ leaders gathered in Fort Lauderdale to support the Democratic nominee for president.
Team Harris-Walz for Florida welcomed Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, SAVE Executive Director Todd Delmay, Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith, allies like U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and more for the launch of Out for Harris Aug. 31. Speakers also included LGBTQ+ actor and activist BD Wong.
Organizers highlighted Harris and Gov. Tim Walz’s support for LGBTQ+ Americans while denouncing the anti-LGBTQ+ records of Trump and the Republican presidential nominee’s allies. In a press release, Team Harris-Walz noted the vice president “has been a part of the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in American history.”
They noted the Biden-Harris administration revoked “Trump’s executive actions targeting LGTBQ+ Americans, expanding protections for LGBTQ+ people [while] working to protect the freedom of LGBTQ+ Americans to love who they love with the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act and pushing Congress to pass the Equality Act.”
“While Vice President Harris is fighting for freedom, respect, and dignity for every American no matter who they are or who they love, Donald Trump continues to openly attack LGBTQ+ families,” Team Harriz-Walz added.
View photos from the event below via Wasserman Schultz:
“Kamala has consistently fought for working families, reproductive rights and equality for all,” Delmay shared. “Her leadership is exactly what this country needs — focused on progress and fairness, not division … Our democracy depends on us electing Kamala Harris president in November.”
“At a time when Florida’s LGBTQ community is under relentless attack from the extreme right, Vice President Harris is a welcome voice for equality, justice, and our democratic values,” Smith added. “Donald Trump and JD Vance continue to fuel anti-LGBTQ attacks, undermine our democratic institutions and empower extremists who seek to strip away our rights. We need Kamala Harris’ leadership now more than ever to protect our freedoms and ensure progress.”
Equality Florida echoed its executive director in a press release Sept. 9. “As the frontline in America’s fight against the far-right’s anti-LGBTQ agenda, Floridians understand the high stakes this November,” they shared in their Equality Florida Action, Inc. endorsement.
“We believe Florida is in play. The signs are all there and the polls are tight, just 3%-4%,” Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer said in a statement. “Floridians are turning against the failed, extremist policies of [Gov. Ron] DeSantis and Trump.”
Equality Florida cited the state’s primary last month, in which the governor’s endorsed school board candidates suffered “a string of humiliating defeats.” They also pointed toward the forthcoming election’s Amendment 4, in which voters will decide whether or not to overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban.
“Millions of Floridians successfully placed abortion access on the November ballot, which will drive turnout among new and younger voters eager for change,” Pollitzer shared. “A rainbow wave of fired up, pro-equality voters for Kamala Harris is building, and it’s set to crash down on Trump in November.”
Equality Florida will host a “Rainbow Wave for Harris” call via Zoom on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. to discuss this and more. They hope “to mobilize support for Kamala Harris and show that Florida is ready to win!”
“We’re not just resisting, we’re building a better future,” Pollitzer noted. “This November is about stopping Project 2025 and ensuring Donald Trump never returns to the White House. But more importantly, it’s about creating a world that our children deserve. A world filled with equality, respect, and dignity for all.”
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The general election is Nov. 5 and you can check your voter registration and more at Vote.org. For more information about Equality Florida visit EQFL.org, and learn more about Kamala Harris’ plan to protect LGBTQ+ civil rights at KamalaHarris.com.
