Just hours before the deadline to file new bills for the upcoming Florida legislative session seven Republican lawmakers filed 4 anti-LGBT bills including one that would repeal statewide municipal and county ordinances protecting LGBT workers .
Republican State lawmakers — Rep. Anthony Sabatini, Sen. Dennis Baxley, Rep. Bob Rommel, Sen. Joe Gruters, Rep Michael Grant, Sen. Keith Perry, and Rep. Byron Donalds — together introduced the four pieces of legislation, each with a companion bill in the House and the Senate.
In addition to repealing statewide municipal and county non-discrimination ordinances the other bills would ban gender-affirming health care for transgender children, and legalize gay conversion therapy that has medically been debunked and labeled as torture.
Rep. Shevrin Jones, one of Florida’s openly LGBT lawmakers, said in a statement that it is “shameful that Republican lawmakers are wasting tax dollars attacking Florida’s most vulnerable communities rather than prioritizing the issues that impact everyday people’s lives.”
“Clearly they’ve decided that discrimination and hate are central to their election-year platform despite our state’s incredible diversity,” Jones wrote. “Just as I’ve done since I was elected in 2012, I will continue to fight any legislation that marginalizes or threatens any Floridian’s shot at a secure, safe, and bright quality of life.”