ImpACT Florida's direct actions are making news across the state -- and beyond. Welcome to the ongoing campaign to ensure full rights and recognition for GLBT Floridians.
Check out our web site - www.pbchrc.org
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Inc. is dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The Council promotes equality, through education, advocacy, direct action, impact litigation, and community outreach.
www.pbchrc.org
Comment Wall (1 comment)
You need to be a member of ImpACT-Florida to add comments!
The School Board of Palm Beach County unanimously votes to include "sexual orientation" and "gender expression and/or identity" as protected classes in a comprehensive policy protecting students against bullying and harassment.
November 2008
On election day, more than a quarter of a million Palm Beach County voters (48.45%) reject Amendment 2, making us Florida's leading metropolitan area to oppose the so-called Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. Of Florida's 67 counties, only Monroe and Alachua Counties had higher percentages (52.04% and 48.83%, respectively).
Seacoast Utility Authority in Palm Beach Gardens extends family health, dental, disability and life insurance coverage to employees with domestic partners.
October 2008
Palm Beach County's Clerk & Comptroller revises her office's policies to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on "gender identity and expression."
City Commissioners in both West Palm Beach and Lake Worth unanimously pass resolutions urging voters to vote against Amendment 2 -- the so-called Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.
September 2008
The Palm Beach County School Board extends health insurance coverage to the children of employees' domestic partners, effective January 1, 2009.
The Board of Trustees of Palm Beach County Community College votes to offer employees the opportunity to purchase health insurance for their domestic partners.
August 2008
94% of the PBCHRC endorsed candidates are elected, re-elected, or make the November run-off election in their races.
June 2008
In two cases brought jointly by PBCHRC and the Palm Beach County chapter of the ACLU of Florida, the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity determines that the Palm Beach County School District's policy of charging higher health insurance premiums for employees with domestic partners than it charges for married employees is discriminatory.
The Village of Tequesta revises the definition of "immediate family" to include an employee's domestic partner for the purpose of bereavement leave.
April 2008
Senator Deutch enlists Senator Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) as one of six co-sponsors to his bill. With bipartisan support, the Deutch anti-discrimination bill is approved by the Senate Commerce Committee by a vote of 7-1.
March 2008
100% of the PBCHRC endorsed candidates are re-elected.
At the Council's request, Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) -- and a record 31 co-sponsors -- introduce legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination in employment and housing based on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression."
At the Council's request, Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) introduces legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimiantion in employment and housing based on "sexual orientation."
February 2008
The Palm Beach County School Board unanimously votes to expand the definition of "family" in the School District's Leave of Absence policy to include employees' domestic partners and their children.
January 2008
The Town of Juno Beach notifies PBCHRC that it has revised its non-discrimination and harassment awareness policies to include "sexual orientation." In addition the Town notified the Council that it has revised the definition of "immediate family" to include an employee's "significant other" for the purpose of bereavement leave
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Charles Bronson informs the Council that his office's sick leave policy now allows employees to opportunity to use sick leave to care for domestic partners.
December 2007
Palm Beach County Commissioners amend both the County's Equal Employment Ordinance and the County's Fair Housing Ordinance to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's office advises the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council that his office's policies have been revised to "provide enough latitude" to allow employees to use sick leave to care for domestic partners.
November 2007
Palm Beach Gardens revises its Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment and Discrimination policies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and familial status.
Palm Beach Gardens initiates basic domestic partner benefits (personal leave, acute illness leave, bereavement leave, and access to an Employee Assistance Program) for city employees.
October 2007
The Health Care District of Palm Beach County votes to offer health insurance to its employees' domestic partners.
State Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and State Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) reintroduce legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. If enacted into law, Representative Skidmore's bill would also prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression.
At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink updates Florida Department of Financial Services policies to allow employees to use sick leave to care for domestic partners.
September 2007
The Palm Beach County Bar Association becomes the first county bar association in Florida to adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination in employment and membership on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
August 2007
The School District of Palm Beach County reduces health insurance premiums for employees with domestic partners so that the premiums will be the same as for married employees.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office expands domestic partner benefits to include sick leave, bereavement leave and an employee assistance plan.
Palm Beach County Sheriff' Ric Bradshaw updates his office's nondiscrimination policy is updated to include sexual orientation and familial status.
The Village of Royal Palm Beach amends its Equal Employment Opportunity/Americans with Disabilities Act Policy and its Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The Palm Beach County Bar Association agrees to include reference to Palm Beach County's historic gay rights laws in the permanent exhibit And Justice for All at the County's 1916 Historic Courtroom.
July 2007
Lake Worth amends the city's Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.
June 2007
The Clerk and Comptroller revises her office policies so that the same continuation of health care coverage will be provided to her employees' domestic partners and their children as is provided to married employees' families under COBRA.
May 2007
Tequesta amends four Village policies (the Diversity and Workplace Equity Policy, the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, the Hiring Process Policy and the Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation Policy) to protect Village employees from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
April 2007
West Palm Beach amends the City's Equal Opportunity Ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression. The ordinance covers employment, housing and public accommodations.
The Supervisor of Elections revises his office's policy manual, reinstating (a) the full range of domestic partner benefits and (b) the prohibition against discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression. These had been in effect during his predecessor's administration.
March 2007
90% of PBCHRC's endorsed candidates win in municipal elections.
Jupiter revises Town nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.
Jupiter offers the full range of domestic partner benefits to municipal employees.
February 2007
State Senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and State Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) introduce legislation to amend the Florida Civil Rights and Florida's Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
State Representative Shelley Vana (D-West Palm Beach) introduces legislation to amend the Florida Educational Equity Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the public schools.
Hypoluxo revises Town nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation.
West Palm Beach redefines "immediate family" to include city employees' domestic partners' children and parents.