News release from Rand Hoch, president and founder of Palm Beach County Human Rights Council:
Governor Rick Scott's "Diversity" is Limited to Race, Gender, Creed, Color, and National Origin
(Tallahassee, Florida) Shortly after he was sworn in as Florida's 45th governor, Rick Scott issued an executive order addressing diversity in state government.
A request for the order had been made last month by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. The Council, a nonprofit organization founded in 1988, is dedicated to dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
In a December 6 letter to the Scott Transition Team, Council President Rand Hoch requested that the incoming governor's first executive order address equal opportunity in state employment.
"By doing so on the day you take office, you will assure all Floridians that the State of Florida is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in state government to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or marital status," Hoch wrote.
While the Council's request was for an inclusive order, Scott instead issued Executive Order 11-04, which narrowly limited Florida's non-discrimination policies to address only race, gender, creed, color and national origin.
"Governor Scott's limited view of diversity is very discouraging," said Hoch. "Governor Scott did not even include all of the classifications listed in the Florida Civil Rights Act -- let alone sexual orientation and gender identity."
The Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status." In addition, Florida courts have also determined that pregnancy is a protected classification.
I don't know why anyone would be surprised.
Despite your bubble in Miami, the vast majority of florida is a white redneck southern hick state on parr with all the other red/hick states which prefer their religious ideology over education and knowledge or innovation and creativity, and their political jingoism over justice or equality.
They elected a thug criminal for governor simply because he's rich and 'christian'.
like I wrote: just another southern hick state.
what a pathetic joke.
Posted by: floridasucks | January 05, 2011 at 07:50 PM
I'm not so sure, floridasucks. In Liberty County, where McCain made his biggest gain in Florida from Bush's 2004 vote percentage, Sink still beat Scott by 1.4%. They're not all terrible up there! (Just a lot of them.)
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2010&fips=12&f=0&off=5&elect=0
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2008&fips=12&f=1&off=0&elect=0
Posted by: EqualRights | January 06, 2011 at 01:05 AM
Look people, being a queer IS A CHOICE NOT A RIGHT so get over it. Look at what's covered under the FACR - race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status. Nowhere did it say sexual misguidance or confusion. Rules need not be changed to suit your needs or agendas.
Use all the big words you want to make it should better ("which prefer their religious ideology over education and knowledge or innovation and creativity, and their political jingoism over justice or equality"). It sounded nice but still a crock of crap. This is the main reason behind the angst on this subject. Yall are so set with forcing YOUR CHOICES onto us that it's upsetting. Do what you want in the privacy of your own home. My kids and I don't need to see it in public.
Before you call me a homophobe, I've never told anyone not to be gay nor have I told anyone not to smoke or not to have an abortion. This is the land of the free and we all are awarded free will. We all have to ability to make our own choices and if I choose not to agree with the homosexual lifestyle, then that's MY RIGHT as an Amercian and Veteran. Your right to do what you feel is already in place. Nobody is stopping you. Stop trying to cloud the laws with fancy grammar and buzzwords. All you are doing is looking for a way to prevent the rest of us from having an opinion on the matter. Sounds like somebody needs protecting from the big, bad heterosexuals. LOL!
Posted by: Joe | January 08, 2011 at 08:14 PM