News & Public Affairs

Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith answers calls about LGBTQ issues

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Tags: Jennifer Carroll, Nadine Smith, Equality Florida, LGBT, transgender, Gina Duncan, Chick-Fil-A, Sally Ride, Occupy Tampa

Wednesday on Last Call we discussed human rights issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Joining me in the studio was Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith.

We began with news about Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll. A former aide is accusing her of being caught in a compromising position with another female aide. Last week Smith wrote a strongly-worded column about something Carroll recently told a local [television ...

USF students honor fallen transgender people listen

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Tags: transgender, LGBT, USF

Transgender individuals suffer from high rates of unemployment an even homelessness. Those challenges, combined with prejudice, puts this group at a higher risk of both suicide and violence. An LGBT advocacy group held a memorial at USF Tampa Wednesday night for all those who have lost their lives due to being transgender.

Gianna Love is a transgender individual. She’s been taking hormones since she was 17. Prior to that, she struggled with a devoutly religious family who demonized her f...

USF to add transgender option to housing applications listen

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Tags: transgender, LGBT, University of South Florida, higher education

Last week the University of South Florida made a little change to its campus housing applications. Now, instead of just male or female, students will also have the option to select “transitioning.” Conservatives may not be happy about it, but some students say it’s a sign of generational progress.

Ana Hernandez, Dean of Housing and Residential Education at USF, said the change is meant to meet the demands of a ch...

Transgender activist says she's been denied chance to talk with St Pete College students listen

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Tags: transgender, LGBT, St. Petersburg College, ethics, feminism

Gianna Chao is an advocate and activist for transgender issues and is a transwoman. She and her creative partner, Alexandria Brown, have created web videos under a partnership called Techno Feminist Utopia. They were invited to speak to an applied ethics class at St. Petersburg College, but Chao says they found out the invitation had been rescinded, but not by the professor or the students.

"From what I know, the class is an applied ethics class at St. Petersburg College and they were goi...

Tansgendered persons are the latest group protected against discrimination in Tampa listen

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Tags: transgender, LGBT rights, Human Rights Ordinance, Tampa City Council

Transgender individuals can now count themselves among the classes protected by Tampa’s human rights ordinance. Today City Council updated the ordinance on a 5 to 1 vote, despite opposition from some religious groups.

Equality advocates consider today’s decision a victory for human rights. Tabias Packer with Equality Florida, a statewide LGBT rights organization, applauded the decision.

Dozens of members of local churches and human rights organization...