Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Unjust Florida Anti-Trans Bill Clears Subcommittee

Cindy Sullivan, 45, St. Petersburg, right,  a transgendered person, responds to Rep. Frank Artiles, R- Miami, far left, sponsor of HB 583 during a House Civil Justice Subcommittee meeting, Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Capitol in Tallahassee. Transgender women would have to use men's public bathrooms and transgender men would have to use women's rooms unless they have a license or passport that proves they've completed their transition to their new sex under a bill that passed its first committee Wednesday. (AP Photo/Tampa Bay Times/Scott Keeler)  Scott Keeler
Republican trans oppressor Rep Frank Artiles unjust HB 583 had a House Civil Justice Subcommittee hearing last Wednesday which brought people pro and con to Tallahassee to comment on it.

After more than an hour of emotional testimony from both sides of the issue, the subcommittee voted 9-4 along party lines  (Republicans FOR oppression, Democrats AGAINST it) to advance the unjust bill based on Rep Artiles transphobia and being pissed off Miami-Dade passed a human rights ordinance that allows trans people to use the facilities that correspond with their sincerely held external gender presentation

The unjust bill need to pass through two more committees before it heads to the GOP controlled Florida House floor for a vote.

Florida trans peeps, hope you're keeping political score and are paying attention to which party stood up for your human rights and which one is gleefully working to take them away.

Cindy Sullivan said during her testimony to the committee “You all just don’t get it. I’m so scared of all of you. You can put me in jail for being me. This bill is government intrusion at its worst,” Sullivan said. “I’m not a protected class. I’m a throw away piece of trash in this country of freedom and liberty.”
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After the negative vote, trans people in the room and their supporters shouted "Trans Lives Matter!"

And I'm interested in knowing what the Southern Comfort Conference thinks about this revolting development, especially in light of the fact they just moved their convention from the ATL to Fort Lauderdale for the next three years.

Unfortunately, the unjust Artiles bill is one step closer to becoming law and legalizing anti-trans discrimination in Florida.

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