People who are LGBT face systemic and government sponsored discrimination regularly in employment, housing, public accommodations, personal security, access to health care, the judicial system, and other areas affecting personal civil liberties.  Non-discrimination laws ensure that LGBT people have equal access to the same opportunities, benefits, and protections granted to everyone else.

Why It matters:

Nondiscrimination policies send a clear message that discrimination will not be tolerated. Florida is one of 38 states where you can be legally fired from your job for being gay or transgender.  If Fortune-500 companies are thinking about moving shop into Florida employment protections will be a critical piece of legislation for Florida’s economy.

What We're Doing:

In 1998 SAVE Dade successfully lobbied the Miami-Dade County Commission and amended the Human Rights Ordinance to protect citizens on the basis of sexual orientation.  We are continuing to work toward amending the County’s H.R.O. to provide protection on the basis of gender identity.  Read more.

In 2009, SAVE Dade was a member of Jackson Health Systems’ Fair Visitation Committee.  Along with a dozen other organizations, we expanded the definition of “family” at Jackson to include LGBT families, strengthened their existing visitation policies, and further, redefined their Patient Bill of Rights to include gay and transgender people.  Read more.

In 2010 SAVE Dade passed four non-discrimination ordinances and resolutions in Miami-Dade municipalities pertaining to non-discrimination for people who are LGBT.  Read more.

How You Can Make A Difference:

Join SAVE Dade’s Adopt-A-Legislator Program!  Our legislative liaison program pairs volunteers with a State Senator, State Representative, or a Miami-Dade County Commissioner. The volunteer Legislative Liaisons will: 

• Conduct background research on their legislator and their legislator’s district.
• Keep up to date with their legislator.
• Meet with their legislator together with SAVE Dade staff.
• Attend events planned by/ or attended by their legislator.
• Serve as a resource regarding LGBT issues for their legislator.
• Attend meetings and trainings of SAVE’s legislative liaison committee.
• Participate in SAVE’s endorsement process for your legislator’s district.

We are seeking 32 volunteers who are committed to spending 2-3 hours per month (on average) to help implement this initiative that is integral to SAVE Dade’s mission. 

Make a designated contribution to our nondiscrimination work by going to www.savedade.org/donate