Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 8, 2016

For the third time in less than five years, the Jacksonville City Council will be compelled to consider — again — extension of the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to include the LGBT community. Councilman Tommy Hazouri has been making the media rounds this month to message ahead of the re-introduction of the measure. Hazouri told the Jax […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 26, 2016

Pastor Ken Adkins, perhaps best known in Jacksonville for representing the “Bible-based” opposition on expert panels during mayoral “community conversations” about the expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance to LGBT people, was arrested for child molestation and aggravated child molestation Friday. First reports suggest at least one of the incidents happened at his Brunswick church, with others […]

Scott PowersAugust 12, 2016

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who’s faced a torrent of criticism this week for agreeing to speak at a conservative Christian conference that included others with harsh gay-bashing rhetoric, used his pulpit there Friday to urge love for the gay community. “I want to be clear with you, abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a […]

Guest AuthorJuly 7, 2016

Editor’s note: Democratic state Rep. David Richardson offers his reply to an open letter published July 5 on FloridaPolitics.com from Florida Family Action president John Stemberger: First, I want to thank you for following my work and words as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. While your letter was addressed to me, it was […]

Guest AuthorJuly 5, 2016

Regarding your repeated charge that fellow legislators make others “prone to committing violent acts” when they make “speeches” in opposition to bills which call for special and new LGBT rights in the Legislature. Dear Rep. Richardson: Since your election to the Florida House of Representatives in 2012 until now, I have always known your reputation as […]

Melissa RossJune 23, 2016

Jacksonville attorney Paula Bartlett readily admits she’s a political outsider. But the Democratic candidate seeking to oust Duval Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell is starting to generate some grassroots support, mainly in the form of small donors, in her campaign to reopen the Duval County Courthouse wedding chapel. Fussell (and a few other Florida clerks) […]

Brendan FarringtonJune 23, 2016

Florida’s Key West is one of the most gay-friendly places in the country. The Florida Panhandle – many locals call it the Redneck Riviera – is a different story. The massacre of 49 people in a gay nightclub happened between these extremes, forcing many Floridians to reconsider their assumptions about the state’s evolving culture. Key […]

Joe HendersonJune 22, 2016

The fact Marco Rubio reneged on his vow not to run for re-election to the U.S. Senate isn’t that big of a deal. Politicians change their minds all the time. A much bigger deal — and a reality Marco apologists choose to ignore — is the fact Rubio has done a spectacularly lousy job since elected to […]

Melissa RossJune 21, 2016

A new documentary film airing nationwide on dozens of PBS stations this week shows Florida’s gay community was targeted long before the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. The sordid tale of Florida’s infamous McCarthyesque witch hunt of suspected gay and lesbian students and professors at state universities is told in the new Emmy award-winning […]

Associated PressJune 19, 2016

A week has passed since the Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 49 club patrons and the funeral processions are wrapping up, but survivors and victims’ families say they realize the nightmare will live on long after the world’s attention fades. Jeannette McCoy made it out of the Pulse nightclub alive on June 12 as gunman […]

Tag: LGBT

Another attempt to expand the HRO is coming to Jacksonville

Ken Adkins, outspoken critic of Jacksonville’s human rights ordinance, arrested for child molestation

Marco Rubio uses forum at Christian conference to call for love of gay community

David Richardson: An open reply letter to John Stemberger

John Stemberger: An open letter to David Richardson

Paula Bartlett on uphill battle against Ronnie Fussell: ‘the entire community should be outraged’

From Key West to Pensacola, Florida’s LGBT attitudes differ

Joe Henderson: It’s not that Marco Rubio reneged; it’s that he did a lousy job in Senate

‘The Committee’ airs nationwide this week, documents anti-gay discrimination at Florida universities

As Orlando funerals wrap up, survivors worry about future