A bipartisan group of state lawmakers wants the state to explicitly prohibit discrimination against gay or transgender men and women in the workplace.
State Rep. Joe Saunders, D-Orlando, has been trying for years to get the Florida Legislature to pass a law that would protect the LGBT community from discrimination in the workplace. Before this year, Saunders worked as an advocate with the state’s largest gay rights organization. Now, he is one of the first openly gay state legislators in Florida’s history.
Saunders says he thinks this might be the year a law protecting gay men and women in the workplace may pass.
“I am feeling confident we are going to gain some traction this year," Saunders says. "You know this year I sponsored this bill in partnership with state representative Holly Raschein—who is a Republican. This is the first time that we have had strong bipartisan support right out of the gate for this bill. I think it is a sign that government might finally be catching up to where I think people are.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies have policies in place that prohibit discrimination against the LGBT community. Saunders says the bill would not only be a step forward for gay rights, but it would help the state’s economy.
