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Several months ago a group of Orlando Health team members presented a proposal to key executive leaders of the organization calling for the development of a diversity initiative to benefit the organization, its team members, physicians and patients and the community at large. After several meetings with key leaders within the organization nothing has happened.

On Wednesday, August 26th, FL Attorney General Bill McCollum's Deputy Solicitor General defended Florida's anti-gay adoption ban by saying... ``There is evidence that homosexuals have higher rates of mental disorders, suicide rates and domestic violence. This is a plausible rationale.'' -Timothy D. Osterhaus Florida's Attorney General is relying on long discredited junk science to smear a segment of the population and justify an indefensible blatant form of state-sanctioned discrimination.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS ARE TUESDAY SEPT. 1st DON'T FORGET TO GO VOTE EQUALITY FLORIDA ACTION PAC

From the St Petersburg Times:  Florida's Ballot initiative to ban gerrymandering starts to draw foes

From the Miami Herald:

Today Governor Charlie Crist has appointed long time aide George LeMieux to fill Mel Martinez's US Senate seat.

My inbox was pleasantly overflowing with Birthday wishes, postcards and a few spicy limericks this morning. So here is a collective Thank You very much and one birthday wish from me. I set a goal of getting 20 people to donate $44 (more or less) to Equality Florida at any level. I'm about halfway there. It was that or a pony. Either will do. : ) Thanks for supporting the work and thanks for wishing me well.SincerelyNadine p.s. Here's the link: http://ow.ly/lwKJ

Watch Joe Biden's moving tribute to Senator Kennedy on MSNBC. 

Contributions Must be in by 11PM Tomorrow Steve Kornell is running to make history in Florida as St. Pete's first openly-LGBT city council member, but he needs your help. Tomorrow - Thurs. August 27th - is the deadline to make contributions to his primary campaign.

All of Florida is on pins and needles as we await the announcement of who will replace outgoing Senator Mel Martinez. Insiders are saying Crist will make his announcement by Thursday. 

MIAMI (AP) -- Florida's strict ban on adoptions by gay people is going before a state appeals court. The state is appealing a Miami-Dade judge's November 2008 ruling that the law is unconstitutional. The ruling came in the case of Martin Gill, who along with his partner has adopted two young boys. The appeals court is hearing oral arguments Wednesday in Miami.

From the Orlando Sentinel:

For all of you political nerds out there, exciting news today! Speaker Cretul has released the 2009/2010 Council and Committee Assignments. 

** St. Pete's Next Mayor - ****** An LGBT Champion or an Anti-Gay Crusader? ***Special note: This is a huge race for our entire state. No matter where you live, you can join this virtual phone bank. Please spread the word to your network. Dear Friends, The actions we take in the next 7 days will decide if St.Petersburg's anti-gay mayor is replaced by a pro-equalitychampion or someone with an even more homophobic record than theincumbent.

For St. Petersburg City Council In Print: Friday, August 14, 2009

For IMMEDIATE ReleaseAug 7th, 2009 Ros-Lehtinen Supports Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy (WASHINGTON) - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said today that she will support the repeal of the U.S. Defense Department's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which bars gays and lesbians from serving in the military. Statement of Ros-Lehtinen:

Mel Martinez resigning - The Scorecard - POLITICO.com Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) will be resigning from the Senate, according to several senior Republican sources familiar with his thinking. He made the announcement at a morning staff meeting, where he said he will not be returning to the Senate after the August recess. Martinez announced he wasn’t seeking re-election to the Senate last December, but he had insisted that he would be serving out the remainder of his term, which expires in 2011.

Newsweek is reporting that Judge Sotomayor has been confirmed by the full US Senate.