The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus will be hosting a spring membership meeting in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Lobby Days event in Tallahassee, held April 3-5, 2017! Join LGBT and supportive leaders and activists from across the state as we work to defeat a number of discriminatory bills while encouraging support for a statewide non-discrimination policy.

Monday, April 3rd

Lobby Days Training/Lobbying 101
Training will include an update on current bills, questions to ask, how to ask, reviews packets, and an overview of the Capitol map. Lunch will be provided to registered Lobby Days attendees.
Time: 8:30am Check-In
Location: TBD

Spring Membership Meeting
Time: 1:30 – 4:30pm
Location: TBD

Evening Reception and Dinner
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Location: TBD

Tuesday, April 4th

Lobby Days Event/Lobby Opportunities
Lunch will be provided to registered Lobby Days attendees.
Time: 8:30am Check-In
Location: TBD

VIP Reception
Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm
Location: TBD

Wednesday, April 5th

Breakfast with VIP Guest
Time: 9:00 – 10:30am
Location: TBD

Registration

Registration for Lobby Days is required and a payment of $10 per attendee covers the cost of lunch for both days and all training materials. There is no charge to attend the Spring Membership Meeting. Agendas and additional information will be provided to registered attendees a few days before Lobby Days. Click this link to register for Lobby Days!

Parking

There is metered street parking all around the Capitol complex. There are also several parking garages, including Kleman Plaza parking garage, one block from the Capitol.

Attire

Business-appropriate attire should be worn while in the Capitol. This includes suits, slacks, button-up shirts, knee-length skirts, dresses and close-toed shoes. No jeans. Please wear comfortable (but business appropriate) shoes as there is a lot of walking involved in Lobby Days.

Hotels

There are several hotels nearby and within walking distance to the Capitol. Please see the list below to begin making arrangements.

Red Roof Inn Tallahassee
2930 Hospitality Street
850-385-7884

DoubleTree by Hilton Tallahassee
101 S. Adams Street
850-224-5000

Aloft Tallahassee Downtown
200 N. Monroe Street
850-513-0313

Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown
316 W. Tennessee Street
850-422-0071

Residence Inn Tallahassee Universities at the Capitol
600 W. Gaines Street
850-329-9080

Wyndham Garden Tallahassee Capitol
1355 Apalachee Parkway
850-877-3171

The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus strongly denounces a reported Executive Order by the President that repeals many of the protections put in place by the Obama Administration regarding LGBT equality.

According to President Terry Fleming, “We are veterans and teachers, homemakers and CEO’s, civil servants and laborers, police officers and construction workers and we deserve equal protections against discrimination in housing, employment, credit and public accommodation.  Wrapping legal discrimination in the mantle of religious freedom is an affront to people of all faiths and creeds and a violation of our constitution. This order must be strenuously opposed by all people of good conscience.”

Under the guise of “religious liberty,” this EO would allow federal employees to refuse to serve LGBT Americans based on a belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, allow taxpayer funds to be used to discriminate against LGBT Americans in social services, allow adoption agencies that receive federal funding to discriminate against LGBT parents & remove sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories for federal employees and contractors.

The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus congratulates Stephen Bittel of Miami-Dade County on his election as Chair of the Florida Democratic Party.  The Caucus looks forward to working with Chair Bittel and his team over the next four years to elect pro-LGBT Democrats at the federal, state and local levels.

We also extend congratulations to the other newly elected officers:  Judy Mount of Jackson County as First Vice Chair, Casmore Shaw of Osceola County as Secretary and Francesca Menes of Miami-Dade County as Treasurer.

Every two years, the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus elects its leaders. These elections occur in two stages. First, regional meetings are held to elect one male and one female director, as well as their respective alternates. Later, at the biennial meeting held in each odd-numbered year, statewide officers are elected.

Listed below are the dates, times and locations of all upcoming regional elections:

Saturday, January 7th
Region 4: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, 13326 Lincoln Road, Riverview, FL 33578, 12:30pm

Sunday, January 8th
Region 1: The Home of Andy Janecek, 517 W. 6th Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32303, 2:00pm
Region 6: The Pride Center, Room 209, 2040 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305, 2:00pm

Saturday, January 21st
Region 2: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, 2586 W CR 48, Bushnell, FL 33513, 1:00pm
Region 7: TBD, 2:00pm

Saturday, January 28th
Region 3: Panera Community Room, 8600 Vineland Avenue, Orlando, FL 32821, 10:30am
Region 5: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 9380 19th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32966, 12:00pm

Regional directors are key to our strategy of grass-roots organizing. According to the Caucus bylaws:

The Regional Directors shall organize chapters in selected counties in their regions, shall coordinate Caucus activities within each region, shall maintain close collaboration with county Democratic Executive Committees, and shall represent the President, at his or her request, in functions and meetings within the region. A regional director shall maintain residency within the region from which elected; notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, failure to comply shall result in immediate forfeiture of office.

The elections for regional directors will be held as follows:

1. Each region will be electing one male director, one female director, one male alternate director, and one female alternate director to serve on the Board of the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus for a period of two years.
2. Any Caucus member in good standing is eligible for election to one of these positions.
3. Nominations for these positions shall be made from the floor on the day of the election. The gender of the persons involved shall be by self-determination.
4. You must be present to vote. Absentee, proxy voting, participation by teleconference or other remote method is not allowed under Caucus Bylaws at this time.
5. The term of service begins when the convener certifies the election at the close of the regional meeting, at which time the elected directors and alternates must sign the FDP-prescribed loyalty oath.
6. For more information about the election rules and process, please refer to the Caucus bylaws or contact the Caucus parliamentarian with specific questions.

As mentioned above, Caucus members must be in good standing on the day of the election to be eligible to run for the office of regional director or alternate. Caucus membership fees for 2017 are due and payable by December 31st, 2016. New members are eligible to vote and run for regional director if 2017 membership dues are paid and received by the Treasurer by the day before the regional elections. Note that the Bylaws require that all current officers must renew membership by December 31st.

If you have not already renewed your membership, please visit the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus website for information and options for payment. Thank you for your participation!

The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus is pleased to announce plans for the 2017 Winter (Biennial) Membership Meeting and Board Elections, held March 4, 2017, in Lakeland, Florida!  The membership meeting will include the election of officers and other board members and additional caucus business.  As always, there is no cost to attend the membership meeting.

Save the date and stay tuned for additional event announcements, including venue information and agenda materials.

The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus today remembers all those in Florida and across the country who were murdered simply because they lived openly and honestly as transgender individuals.

With the recent rise is transphobia, we are committed to helping ensure the safety and equality of all Floridians, regardless of gender identity and expression.

We urge all our members, friends and supporters to reach out to their transgender family and friends to let them know that you are thinking of them and love them.