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florida

nation

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

1947 - End of the Blue Discharge and implementation of the Dishonorable Discharge.

This made it easier for the military to fire gay men and harder for these veterans to find work afterwards.

1956 - Formation of the Johns Committee.

The Johns Committe was established in Florida to persecute gay people.

1964 - Publication of the Purple Pamplet.

This pamplet was published by the Johns Committee to warn communities about homosexuals.

1967 - Release of "The Homosexual".

"The Homosexual" was a film designed to warn young boys on the dangers of homosexuals.

1969 - Stonewall Riots.

The Stonewall Riots were a series of revolts against police raids of a gay bar in New York. It is largely considered one of the starting events in the gay rights movement.

1971 - Franklin v. State.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Florida's law against persecuting sodomy as a felony as "unconstitutionally vague"; however, it was maintained as a crime under a misdemeanor.

1970 - First Gay Pride Parades/Marches.

On the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco hold the nation's first large-scale pride parades.

1976 - The Dade County Comission proposes Ordinance 77-4.

Passed in 1977, Ordinance 77-4 included "added protection from discrimination based on affection or sexual preference".

1977 - Formation of the Save Our Children Coalition.

A reaction to Dade County Ordinance 77-4, singer Anita Bryant headed the coalition with the intentions of repealing the ordinance, and more specifically to restric homosexuals from teaching at schools. The ordinance is later overturned and Florida also bans gay adoption.

1977 - The Briggs Initiative.

California's "The Briggs Initiative", also known as Proposition 6, was inspired by the Save Our Children Coalition and sought to ban openly gay individuals from teaching at public schools. Unlike Anita Bryant's campaign, however, the initiative was unsuccessful and there was overwhelming opposition to it.

1981 - CDC Publishes report on five cases of lung infection in gay men.

The publication was the start of large-scale coverage of the rising AIDS epidemic.

1982 - GRID is changed to HIV.

GRID, which stood for gay-related immune deficiency, was changed to HIV, human immunodeficiency virus.

1986 - Bowers vs. Hardwick.

In this court case, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Georgia's sodomy law, specifically made to target the gay community.

1994- DADT is implemented.

The "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibited openly gay, lesbian, or bisexuals from serving in the military, but prevented discrimination against the closeted.

1996- Defense of Marriage Act is enacted.

This federal law meant that same-sex marriages were not legally recognized and therefore spouses weren't entitled to federal marriage benefits.

1997- Establishment of Equality Florida.

This organization advocated for civil rights of the LGBT+ community. It would later be influential in helping to repeal the gay adoption ban.

2001- Gay adoption ban upheld.

A Florida court case upheld the constitutionality of Florida's ban on adoption by gay people.​

2003 - Lawrence v. Texas.

This Supreme Court case overturned Bowers v. Hardwick and nullified all anti-sodomy laws.

2003 - Walmart added sexual orientation to equal employment policy.

Walmart put a policy protecting gay workers in place.

2004 - Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage.

This was partially a ripple effect of the Lawrence v. Texas decision.

2010 - Re: Gill.

This finally took down Florida's ban on adoption by gay people.

2013 - United States v. Windsor.

Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor overturned Section 3 of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

2015 - Florida gay marriage rights enforced.

Starting January 1, 2015, a federal judge mandated court clerks in Florida to give marriage license to gay and lesbian couples.

2015 - HB583 is proposed.

Florida tries to require transgender people to use the bathroom according to the sex they were assigned at birth. The bill doesn't pass.

 2016 - SB120 doesn't pass.

Florida legislature turned down law that would have protected LGBT+ people from discrimination.

2015 - Obergefell v. Hodges.

Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges ruled that banning same-sex marriage is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

2016 - Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act passes.

North Carolina passes the "bathroom bill," which requires transgender people to use the bathroom that matches the sex that they were assigned at birth.

2016 - Transgender students allowed under federal law to use bathroom of choice.

The federal government requires schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice and suggests ways schools can become a better environment for LGBT+ people.

Sources

  • Apuzzo, Matt and Julie Hirschfeld Davis. “U.S. Directs Public Schools to Allows Transgender Access to Restrooms.” New York Times. May 12, 2016. Accessed May 13, 2016.

  • Baca, Mandy. “From Pride to the Palace: Miami’s LGBT Community through the Years.” The New Tropic. August 6, 2015. https://thenewtropic.com/miami-lgbt-history/.

  • Blackburn, Catherine. “Where Does This Leave Gay Couples in Florida?”. Tampa Bay Times. June 27, 2013. Accessed January 23, 2016. Gale Florida Newspaper Database.

  • Cerabino, Frank. “It’s a reach, but we’ll get gender offenders.” Palm Beach Post. March 6, 2015. Accessed May 15, 2016. Gale Florida Newspapers.

  • Faderman, Lillian. The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2015. 

  • “Florida’s Embrace of Equality”. Tampa Bay Times. January 3, 2015. Accessed January 23, 2016. Gale Florida Newspaper Database. 

  • Greenhouse, Linda. “Supreme Court Paved Way for Marriage Ruling With Sodomy Law Decision”. New York Times. November 19, 2003. Accessed November 20, 2015. Proquest Historical Newspapers.

  • Kershaw, Sarah. “Wal-Mart Sets a New Policy That Protects Gay Workers”. New York Times. July 2, 2003. Accessed November 20, 2015. Proquest Historical Newspapers.

  • “Legislature Stuck in Past on Civil Rights.” Tampa Bay Times. February 13, 2016. Accessed March 8, 2016. Gale Florida Newspaper Database.

  • Lewin, Tamar. “Court Backs Florida Ban on Adoption by Gays”. New York Times. August 31, 2001. Accessed November 25, 2015. Proquest Historical Newspapers.

  • Klas, Mary E. & Whitefield, Mimi. “Gay adoption ban officially ends, state won’t appeal court ruling”. Miami Herald. October 22, 2010. Accessed November 25, 2015.

  • “Marriage Equality in America”. New York Times. June 27, 2015. Accessed January 24, 2015. Gale New York Times Database.

  • Morgan, Harry. CBS Reports: The Homosexuals. Documentary episode. Performed by Mike Wallace. 1967. CBS. Television.

  • Poucher, Judith G. State of Defiance: Challenging the John’s Committee’s Assault on Civil Liberties. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. 2014

  • Rosenberg, Debra et al. “The ‘Will & Grace’ Effect- With Massachusetts leading the way, gay marriage is slowly becoming a reality--and dividing generations.” Newsweek. May 24, 2004. Accessed May 10, 2016. Proquest Historical Newspapers..

  • Stonewall Uprising. Film. Directed by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner. 2010. New York: First Run Features.

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