(Orlando, FL) America has this weird and pervasive narrative that people from significantly disadvantaged backgrounds must somehow pull themselves up by the bootstraps and with drive and determination alone, fight their way into a life of economic stability and “success”. The concept of the “American Dream” is patently false and criminally misleading. The majority of people we consider the most successful came from old money or started with points of privilege or legacy that created an uneven playing field that they benefitted from. They very well may have worked hard, but it wasn’t just tenacity that got them where they are. The true way that most of us find our footing is from depending on each other and when one of us makes it through a door or to a table, we reach back and bring our people with us. In the village, in community, there is no room for gate-keeping- only collaboration and sharing what we know.

In mid-August, Equality Florida hosted the 2nd Annual Voices for Change Convening in Orlando, FL led by Angelique Godwin, their Director of Transgender Equality. The foundation of the Voices for Change Convening brought key Trans leaders from throughout the state together to impart “a deep understanding of strategies and tools necessary to overcome the persistent challenges faced by the Transgender community. These strategies and tools must be developed by the community itself…. creating a space to cultivate innovative and impactful solutions to combat the anti-Trans violence and rhetoric” both the state and the country are currently facing. The convening builds off of pillars that were established the year prior and through careful work and collaboration throughout the year: Community Education, Resource and Information Sharing, Healthcare, Funding and Housing. Angelique and her team were expanding and cultivating the village.

Orlando, FL - On June 30th, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a memo to municipalities, banning street art containing social, political, or ideological messages on roads, shoulders, intersections, and sidewalks. They cited safety concerns for the aggressive stance and went on to threaten withholding state funding from cities that didn’t immediately comply. The directive targets public art like Pride crosswalks that appear throughout the state and the "Black History Matters" street mural found outside of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museumin St. Petersburg, FL.

Since, several cities including West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Tallahassee, have started willingly removing the art while the cities of Delray Beach, Miami Beach, Key West and St. Petersburg, FL seem poised to fight back. In a subsequent letter from the State, several of those cities were told to remove the Art by a deadline of Sept 3rd and if they did not, FDOT would come in without further communication to remove the artwork “by any appropriate method”, the expense of which would be charged back to the municipality.

In stunning news, the City of Orlando woke today to learn that the State of Florida had come in overnight on Wednesday under the cloak of darkness and removed the rainbow cross walk that stretched across Orange Ave, the street that sits directly in front of Pulse Nightclub where 49 innocent victims lost their lives in a mass shooting on June 12, 2016. The city of Orlando, it’s Mayor, several elected officials and countless community members condemned the act and began immediately filling the then blank crosswalk spaces in with color chalk.

Lobby Days at the Florida capitol have begun, bringing countless special interest groups to Tallahassee to meet with electeds to encourage the representatives to vote with them in mind. This week, Equality Florida hosted a contingent of 400+ LGBTQ+ community members and allies to bring attention and humanity to the plight of Queer and especially Trans Floridians. The country is reeling under the current federal administration seeing everything from DEI and Civil Rights Protections stripped away to the ability for those of the Trans experience to serve in the military. Sadly, this is a familiar fight in Florida as many of the current federal policies were seemingly “tested out” on the state of Florida.