Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressOctober 2, 2016

Florida health officials say they will not fight a judge’s order that would change the gender on a transgender teen’s birth certificate from female to male. The Department of Health told the Miami Herald that it will comply with Leon Circuit Judge Karen Gievers‘ order to change the marker on the 15-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident’s […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 3, 2016

School may be ending soon throughout Florida’s 4th Congressional District, but there’s no summer vacation when it comes to politicizing the issue of school bathrooms. On Friday, CD 4 Republican candidate Bill McClure issued a statement expressing “outrage” over a “federal directive on Florida and the country, forcing schools to allow transgender students to use the […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 25, 2016

Republican State Attorney candidate Wes White made news earlier this month, representing a mother challenging the commitment of the Duval County School District to providing bathroom options for transgender students. The suit was filed in the wake of the Obama administration issuing a letter linking failure to provide such public accommodations with the potential loss of […]

Jac VerSteegMay 24, 2016

In a “Dear Colleague” letter, the Obama administration has issued guidelines explaining how public schools should treat transgender students. As a policy, it is good. As a political tactic, maybe not so much. The directive says public schools should let students use bathrooms and dressing rooms that match their gender identity rather than the gender […]

Peter SchorschMay 20, 2016

State Sen. Greg Evers is making a lot of noise over the Obama administration’s directive to public schools instructing them to allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity. But where was the Baker Republican – who is now a candidate for Florida’s 1st Congressional District – when he had a chance to […]

Melissa RossMay 20, 2016

LGBT students in the Clay County Public Schools confronted Superintendent Charlie Van Zant Jr. in the wake of his remarks about the Obama administration’s directive on transgender bathroom access in public education. Van Zant made his feelings known through the use of a robocalling system that went out to some 35,000 households in the district. […]

Mitch PerryMay 19, 2016

The ACLU of Florida wants state officials to know that protecting transgender students is not only required by law, but “is the right thing to do.” In a letter penned to Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, the civil liberties group writes that “we hope that you will recognize the […]

Melissa RossMay 18, 2016

Opponents of Clay County School Superintendent Charlie Van Zant Jr. are blasting what they call unethical campaign tactics by the incumbent. Addison Davis of Orange Park, a Republican and educator who works as Duval County Public Schools chief of schools, is one of several candidates challenging Van Zant as he campaigns for a second four-year term. The […]

Diane RobertsMay 18, 2016

Gwen Graham has decided not to run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. You can’t blame her: the redrawn map yanks the progressive heart out of Florida’s Second District, dividing — and diluting — Tallahassee. State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda made rightist noises about guns and Donald Trump earlier this spring, sounding as though […]

Melissa RossMay 16, 2016

As criticism mounts toward the Obama administration’s new directive on transgender students and public school bathrooms, Jacksonville’s schools chief is pointing out that public schools in Duval County have quietly been allowing transgender kids to use the bathroom they feel most comfortable with for several years now. “We have been problem-solving on these issues for […]

Tag: transgender
Lake Mary, Florida, celebrates their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Saturday, Aug. 24, 20204. (AP Photo Tom E. Puskar.

Fla. judge says state must amend transgender teen’s birth certificate

CD 4 Republican Bill McClure: ‘Outraged’ by presidential directive on school bathrooms

Wes White seeks ‘sunshine’ discussion of Duval schools’ transgender bathroom policy

Jac VerSteeg: Transgender headaches for schools

Greg Evers complains about Obama transgender directive, but didn’t fix issue when he had the chance

LGBT students confront Clay County Superintendent

ACLU urges Florida officials not to defy feds regarding transgender students

Clay County superintendent race gets uglier

Diane Roberts: GOP race for Gwen Graham’s CD 2 seat certainly not crazy-free

Nikolai Vitti: “fear factor” involved with transgender bathroom issue