FEBRUARY 24, 2022 VOL. 13 // ISSUE

TOP LGBT-SUPPORTING COMPANIES BANKROLL POLITICIANS BEHIND FLA. ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Zachary Jarrell

Washington Blade

Some of the top companies in the U.S. that show public support for the LGBTQ community have donated thousands of dollars to the politicians behind a piece of Florida legislation opponents deemed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The bill, which has versions in both the Florida House and Senate, would ban classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity that are not “age-appropriate” in schools — though it is not clear what is considered “ageappropriate.” It also includes a provision that could effectively “out” LGBT students to their parents without their consent.

Despite opposition from Democrats and LGBT rights advocates, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is gaining momentum in the Republicancontrolled Florida Legislature.

Two weeks ago, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared to voice support for the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, saying at a press event that it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers and school administrators to have conversations with students about their gender identity.

“I know the ramifications of a bill like this could be detrimental to our LGBTQ youth,” out Florida state Senate candidate Eunic Ortiz told the Washington Blade.

Yet, a recent investigation from Popular Information, a political Substack newsletter run by veteran progressive journalist and political staffer Judd Legum, found that some of the nation’s top companies — like Comcast/ NBC Universal, UnitedHealth Group, Duke Energy, AT&T and Walgreens — have donated to the politicians behind the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Comcast/NBC Universal, for example, donated $1,000 to state Sen. Dennis Baxley, the main sponsor of the bill in the Senate. In addition, the company gave a total of $28,000 to the top supporters of the antiLGBTQ legislation since 2020, according

to Legum and two other reporters, Tesnim Zekeria and Rebecca Crosby. The Blade reached out to several representatives at Comcast but did not immediately receive a response, nor did Popular Information. Comcast has publicly supported the LGBT community in recent years. “Some people may think the LGBTQ rights journey is done and the struggle is over, but it isn’t. Our job is to continuously educate,” said Yvette Miley, senior vice president of MSNBC and NBC News, on its website. UnitedHealth Group has donated at least $200,000 to DeSantis since 2020 despite his public support for the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and other anti-LGBT legislation, according to the article. The healthcare company has received perfect scores from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s “I KNOW THE largest LGBTQ organization, RAMIFICATIONS Corporate Equality Index. Its chief talent officer, OF A BILL LIKE Ryan Craig, has also said, THIS COULD BE “Strengthening the sense of community among our DETRIMENTAL LGBTQ+ employees and allies” makes the company TO OUR LGBTQ stronger.

YOUTH.” UnitedHealth Group did not immediately respond - Eunic Ortiz to the Blade’s request FLORIDA STATE for comment. Public

SENATE CANDIDATE Information’s request also went unanswered. Duke Energy, one of the largest electric companies in the U.S., has donated $34,000 to Florida legislators behind the “Don’t Say Gay” bill since 2020, including $25,000 to DeSantis and $1,000 to Baxley, according to the investigation. The company has also received perfect scores from the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.

Photo via Adobe.

“We are guided by our vision of an inclusive environment where employees feel a sense of belonging,” Cameron McDonald, Duke Energy’s vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement. “We make sure to integrate diversity and inclusion into everything we do.”

The Blade attempted to reach Duke Energy representatives by phone and email but has yet to receive a response. Legum’s team also couldn’t contact the company for comment.

AT&T has donated $86,000 to the politicians behind the bill, including $80,000 to DeSantis and $500 to Baxley, Popular Information reported.

The company has supported the LGBT community on social media, partnering with the national LGBTQ youth suicide group the Trevor Project during last year’s Pride Month.

“At AT&T we understand that unity starts in our own community, and we are committed to being a company that recognizes, embraces, and standings with LGBT+ people,” it said in a statement.

Warner Media, the company that owns AT&T, did not immediately respond the Blade’s request for comment.

Walgreens has donated at least $28,000 to DeSantis and four lawmakers who have voted in favor of the bill, according to Popular Information.

For Pride 2021, Walgreens Boots Alliance, its parent company, said it “created and encouraged everyone … to use a special Pride month background when they appeared on video during meetings to express their allyship.”

The company also did not respond to the Blade’s request for comment.

SAFE SCHOOLS PUSHES BACK ON ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Damon Scott

The Florida Legislature recently fired up South Florida’s gay community and its allies with House Bill 1557, which would prevent instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, or other grades, when a lesson is deemed not “age appropriate” — a term that’s not defined in the bill.

An amendment later filed to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has caused further tension with a proposal by the bill’s sponsor, Republican Representative Joe Harding, that would alter a section of the legislation that initially offered protections to students who confide personal information to school employees, and who could face “abuse, abandonment or neglect” if their parents were to find out.

The House was scheduled to debate the bill Feb. 22.

Safe Schools South Florida has entered the fray, participating in several rallies and demonstrations by opponents to the legislation. The thrust of the organization, which has been around for decades, is to make sure students are in a safe school environment no matter their perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, nor those of their parents or guardians.

Executive Director Scott Galvin has been at the helm for the past two years. He’s also been a North Miami councilman since 1999.

“It is absolutely a wedge issue — red meat for certain voting bloc,” Galvin said. “It’s one of those emotional, Puritanical issues like abortion or marijuana reform, instead of focusing on affordable housing or sea-level rise.”

Galvin thinks the bill is purely political, and is likely designed to motivate the state’s Trump base for whoever might be next in line for the governorship this year, or two years from now, if Gov. Ron DeSantis runs for president and wins. “It’s straight up hatred of the LGBTQ community mixed with political ambition,” Galvin said. Galvin took a group of six South Florida students to Tallahassee in mid-February to lobby against the bill. He

“IT’S ONE OF said the youth had productive THOSE EMOTIONAL, PURITANICAL meetings with legislators on both sides of the aisle and spent time with the aides of

ISSUES LIKE both the House and Senate

ABORTION OR sponsors of the bill. The AIDS

MARIJUANA Healthcare Foundation helped REFORM, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON AFFORDABLE fund the students’ trip. Galvin said the bill has placed Safe Schools into the media spotlight. The organization HOUSING OR SEA- has been featured on local TV

LEVEL RISE.” news, on the front page of the - Scott Galvin Sun Sentinel, as well as on national and international TV

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAFE SCHOOLS SOUTH stations like CNN and the BBC. FLORIDA “[The students] were amazing. They owned the issue and weren’t intimidated,” Galvin said. “The [Legislative] staff was not easy on these kids.” Five of the students are in high school and one is a college freshman, Galvin said. One student didn’t present a sexual identity; there were two gay males; two gay females; and one student who identified as nonbinary.

Safe Schools South Florida at a protest in Tallahassee. Photo via Facebook.

Galvin expects the bill to “fly through the House,” and if it reaches the Senate, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by 2-to1, he expects it to pass as well. Galvin said, however, that there’s always a possibility the bill could die in a committee along the way.

“It could be that it never gets heard in the Senate,” Galvin said.

If it does reach the Senate and passes, Galvin said DeSantis, who has signaled his support for the bill, would likely sign it into law.

Galvin said the past two years have gone well at Safe Schools, even in the midst of a polarizing political landscape and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve done a decent job with fundraising and have pivoted our programming to be more student and social media focused,” he said.

Before the pandemic, the organization traditionally spent time doing faculty training and leadership events at schools and on field trips — including work with students in gender-sexuality alliances (GSAs).

“We’ve opened more social media channels; we didn’t have Twitter, and Facebook posts were only a couple times a year,” Galvin said.

Galvin said Safe Schools now communicates with teachers via email and phone and has also recently become active on YouTube.

J.R.’s OF THE SNAPSHOTS WEEK

From your life... into our pages! SFGN takes a weekly look at a community that has stood together through countless trials and victories in the past year alone.

Photos by J.R. Davis

Ivan Rivera from AHF with his husband Richard Ortiz, a Ryan White case manager supervisor at Latinos Salud. Jerry Griffin, in the insurance industry, with LaTroy Brown McCormick, data analytics executive at NY FL.

Max Alvarez, Director of Events at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, with Michael Kahane, AHF Southern Bureau Chief Southern Region. North Miami City Council Member Scott Galvin, Safe Schools South Florida executive director, with President of United Teachers of Dade Don Festge.