epicfanboyflailing:
I’m putting this to tumblr because we need all the help we can get.
This bill will make it legal to charge transgender individuals in Florida who use a public bathroom other than what matches their genitals with a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison. A year in prison because you had to pee. Seems pretty extreme to me.
So not only that, but business owners will be liable for civil lawsuits if another customer sees someone using a bathroom that isn’t for their birth assigned sex. And not only that, but the individual who makes the discovery will have grounds to sue the transgender individual.
This also doesn’t just affect Floridians. Florida is an huge travel destination, we have Disney here as well as Universal, and Seaworld. We have a ton of beaches, there are Spring Breakers, retirees, so many families take vacations here. This will affect many more than the state population.
This is abhorrent. This is appalling. I am sickened. So many great strides have been made recently for transgender rights, but this? This is a mile back in the wrong direction.
Here is the petition link: http://www.eqfl.org/NoOnHB583
Here is the most updated news on it: http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/florida-civil-justice-committee-advances-transgender-discrimination-bill
Please, do what you can. Reblog the hell out of this. Signal boost it everywhere. Sign the petition. We are fighting an uphill battle to begin with. We don’t need to add more fear of going to the bathroom to the list of things we struggle with daily.
**UPDATE AS OF 3/15/15: The Transgender Discrimination Bill (HB 583) has been scheduled for a vote in it’s next committee of reference THIS coming Tuesday. We need EVERYONE’S help to stop this dangerous bill. Please call the Representatives below and tell them to vote NO on HB 583. If you call today or tomorrow you will be able to leave a voicemail that they will get when they come into the office on Monday. Opponents of LGBT equality are mobilizing around this bill and will be in the Capitol next week delivering their message with force, so we need each of you to help us out by making these quick calls and by SHARING this information far and wide.
Members of the Government Operations Subcommittee:
Bileca, Michael (Chair) ® - (850) 717-5115
Santiago, David (Vice Chair) ® - (850) 717-5027
Brodeur, Jason T. ® - (850) 717-5028
Fant, Jay ® - (850) 717-5015
Ingoglia, Blaise ® - (850) 717-5035
O’Toole, Marlene ® - (850) 717-5033
Roberson , Kenneth L. ® - (850) 717-5075
Smith (J), Jimmie T. - ® - (850) 717-5034
Taylor, Dwayne (D) - (850) 717-5026
Workman, Ritch ® - (850) 717-5052
Also call:
Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli - (850) 717-5051
House Majority Leader Dana Young - (850) 717-5060
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
“Hello, my name is [insert your name], I’m calling to ask you to please vote NO on house bill 583 by Representative Artiles when it comes before the Government Operations Subcommttee on Tuesday 3/17/15.
This Transgender Discrimination Bill, H.B. 583, seeks to criminalize transgender people by making it illegal for them to enter sex segregated facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms, or dressing rooms. H.B. 583 would also compel businesses to discriminate against their own employees and customers, and invalidate nondiscrimination policies that already exist on the local level.
The arguments for this bill are the same lies and scare tactics we have seen defeated time and again in cities across Florida and states across the country. Concerns raised about public safety in public facilities have absolutely no basis in fact. To date, 17 states and 28 municipalities in Florida have passed and successfully implemented human rights ordinances that provide protections to the transgender community with absolutely no increase in public safety incidents.
Instead, this bill hurts businesses and individuals by leaving them open to unnecessary litigation and hurts Florida’s reputation nationwide.
Please vote NO on HB 583.”
*When speaking with legislators or their staff, please make sure to be firm but POLITE.*
(Text copied from Equality Florida)
This bill advanced through its second of three committees in the Florida House of Representatives this morning. We need to keep spreading awareness, and if you live in Florida, please give your representatives a call and tell them to vote no!