JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Riverside has always been a welcoming space for the city\u2019s LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n
During his second term, President Donald Trump implemented new executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ+ protections. It is leading to potential rollbacks of federal anti-discrimination safeguards<\/a>, cuts to critical health and social services, and challenges to legal recognition. <\/p>\n And there\u2019s legal uncertainty. <\/p>\n Jacksonville\u2019s LGBTQ+ community faces a complicated legal landscape where state-level policies targeting LGBTQ+ individuals are upheld, while federal policy shifts potentially strip protections. <\/p>\n For example, federal executive orders<\/a> have attempted to roll back LGBTQ+ protections under civil rights laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants in any aspect of employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), or national origin. <\/p>\n Added to everything else, members of the LGBTQ+ community say it created further uncertainty for them. <\/p>\n That\u2019s combined with what members of the local community call hostile state policies, which they say are creating a challenging environment for them.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s state government, under Gov. Ron DeSantis, passed several laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. That includes expanding \u201cDon\u2019t Say Gay\u201d legislation<\/a>, the law that restricted classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.<\/p>\n Health care bans were implemented that penalize providers and restrict funds for gender-affirming care<\/a>.<\/p>\n