"Save Our Children"...#dontforget

Orlando is a unique place to be right now amidst the cultural progress and turmoil of LGBT civil rights.  While New York has legalized same-sex marriage, it is still illegal in the Sunshine State.  Yet the I-4 corridor remains an active and evolving Ally community in progress despite the opposition and indifference we face from opponents of LGBT equality. 

It is hard to believe that not long ago singer and former Florida Citrus Commission spokesperson Anita Bryant spearheaded the "Save Our Children" campaign in an effort to stop "homosexuals" from allegedly attempting to recruit children to become gay.

Marketing teaser for LGBT history game

Her crusade successfully appealed a 1977 sexual orientation anti-discrimination ordinance in Dade County.  Bryant and the "Save Our Children" campaign also supported a law passed by the Florida Legislature that prohibited gay adoption, which had a detrimental impact on gay parents and families for decades.  The documentaries "We Are Dad"(2005) and "In Anita's Wake"(2010) both address the impact of the Florida gay adoption ban on LGBT families.

Some argue that Bryant's anti-gay activism was not all bad. They credit it with mobilizing the gay community to more effectively organize politically and fight back.  In 1977, Bryant was "pied" in the face as a political act by gay activist Thom Higgins at a press conference in Des Moines.  After Bryant was pied, she famously quipped in response, "At least it was a fruit pie."

Another dark chapter in Florida's LGBT history is the era of the Johns Committee in the 1950s and 1960s.  Also known as The Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, one of the missions of this committee was to eliminate homosexuals from state government and public education.  Scores of students, faculty and staff in K-12 schools as well as Florida's universities were unlawfully interrogated and black-mailed because of either suspected or proven homosexual interactions.  Many lost their jobs or were thrown out of school.  Investigators sometimes used methods of entrapment to catch individuals in homosexual behavior.  Karen Graves' book "And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida's Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers" is a powerful account of the Johns Committee and its abuses of LGBT Floridians.

For some, recounting these difficult moments from our collective past is too painful, depressing, or even uninteresting. It is important that we remember these moments, not only to benchmark our progress, but to also remind ourselves that silence truly can equal death.  It may not be a physical death because some people die a thousand deaths but are still living.  Taking our rights for granted today may mean they will be gone tomorrow.

"Dancing with the Stars" contestant Chaz Bono
with his mother, singer Cher

Prejudice still exists.  Homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism are still alive and, unfortunately, well.  A recent Fox News Op/Ed on Chaz Bono's participation in ABC's dance competition show "Dancing with the Stars" is evidence that we still have our work cut out for us. Entitled "Don't Let Your Kids Watch Chaz Bono On 'Dancing With the Stars," Dr. Keith Ablow, an alleged psychiatrist, picks up where Anita Bryant left off by attempting to justify ignorance and prejudice for the sake of our children.  On the topic of discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with children, parenting expert Betsy Brown Braun says, "There is nothing loaded about this for kids ... it is loaded for parents, as it challenges our ability to discuss our own feelings ... we are all victims of the attitudes and worlds in which we were raised."

Unfortunately, mass-mediated opinions from "alleged experts" like Dr. Ablow's transphobic commentary can have a serious impact on our LGBT youth seeking love, validation and support.  A transgender ally responded to this Op/Ed piece on Facebook by saying, "I am appalled to see such an article written by a psychiatrist, in violation of his professional ethics code. And we wonder why so many of our transgender youth are hesitant to reach out for help..."


Central Florida is definitely raising the bar in an effort support all of our children through the Zebra Coalition and its homeless youth shelter the Zebra House.  26% of LGBTQ Youth who come out to their parents are told to leave home.  Furthermore, 80% of gay and bisexual youth report severe problems with cognitive, social or emotional isolation, and 50% of all male youth suicides are from the LGBTQ community.  Yet Dr. Ablow is trying to protect "our children" through words that simply piggy back on the the past actions of Anita Bryant and the Johns Committee to further a culture of fear and hate.  Imagine being a transgender youth and reading the "alleged expert" opinion of Dr. Ablow.  Knowing our history and taking a stand for what is right is the least we can do to truly "save our children."    

For more information about what you can do to support LGBTQ youth in Central Florida, visit the Zebra Coalition's website at http://www.zebrayouth.org.