MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 A new bill making its way through the Florida House and Senate is raising concerns in Wilton Manors and other cities that could be banned from showing support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. <\/p>\n
Republican proponents of Florida HB 1001<\/a> and the related SB 1134<\/a> are pushing for a state-wide ban on local governments\u2019 spending on anything associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI, a policy of inclusion for marginalized groups.<\/p>\n Florida Rep. Dean Black<\/a>, who co-introduced HB 1001<\/a>, said the DEI \u201cphilosophy\u201d has been used to \u201ddivide our society.” Florida Sen. Clay Yarborough<\/a>, who introduced SB 1134<\/a>, said the bill \u201cprohibits counties and municipalities from funding, promoting, or taking official actions related to DEI.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida Sen. Jason W. B. Pizzo<\/a>, who is based in Broward County and has no party affiliation, told Yarborough he opposed the bill because it would affect Stonewall Pride Wilton Manors<\/a>, an annual parade and festival. <\/p>\n \u201cSurely a U.S. National Monument, a U.S. National historic landmark, and a U.S. registrar of historic places should allow for anywhere in the nation, especially in the state of Florida, in the great city of Wilton Manors to celebrate,\u201d Pizzo said. <\/p>\n Wilton Manors supports the annual event, which commemorates the LGBTQ+ rights movement that was born after the riots of June 28, 1969<\/a>, during a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City\u2019s Greenwich Village, now a historic national landmark<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me research that because that\u2019s the first time I am hearing about that one,\u201d Yarborough told Pizzo. <\/p>\n