Jacksonville Coalition for Equality

JASMYN is proud to partner with the JCE on thEse initiatives:

1. Work Group: Advocacy for Policy Change

• Working on LGBTQI issues related to nondiscrimination protections

  • Florida Competitive Workforce Act 

  • The Equality Act

  • Non-discrimination ordinances within Duval County

• Working on other LGBTQI-related legislation

  • We oppose FL HB 211 (Youth Gender and Sexual Identity). This bill, if enacted, would criminalize any health care practitioner who provided gender affirming hormones, puberty blocking medications and/or gender affirming surgeries to a minor even if parental consent for those treatments was given. View the original bill HERE.

  • If you live in Florida, you can take action to oppose this overreaching bill by visiting one our JCE partners by clicking HERE.

• Holding policy makers accountable on commitments made regarding 

  • Change the Names: Removing the names of Confederate officers from local schools

  • Take ‘Em Down: Removal of Confederate monuments

 2. Work Group: LGBTQI Research and Education

• Bringing an LGBTQI focus to those doing this work on racial justice, especially around transgender women of color

• Identifying gaps in services and addressing the needs of the LGBTQI community (mental health, housing, legal, incarceration, resource sharing, etc.)

• Supporting research to learn more about the LGBTQI community experiences discrimination, violence, and other disparities

• Supporting aspects of JASMYN’s Speak Up Against Violence Project (SUAV)

  • Training advocates to speak up about violence directed at LGBTQI persons/community

  • Conducting research via an LGBTQI community survey

  • Providing educational forums on LGBTQI violence

  • Training racial justice organizations to be LGBTQI-inclusive

 3. Work Group: Prevention of LGBTQI-directed Violence

• Engaging the Duval LGBTQI community, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), and other law enforcement agencies headquartered in Duval County to work on issues around violence and violence prevention 

• Meeting with candidates for Jacksonville Sheriff to educate them on LGBTQI issues

• Creating a team to be able to rapidly respond to violence that is directed at the LGBTQI community (victim support, legal, media, the JSO LGBT Liaison Team, and/or other law enforcement agencies working in Duval County)  

• Capturing data through JASMYN’s Speak Up Against Violence Project and the SUAV Reporting Form for Violent and Discriminatory Incidents

• Continuing work with the JSO LGBT Liaison Team on:

  • Incarceration concerns of transgender persons

  • Safe and respectful responses to crimes against transgender persons

  • JSO policy development

  • Community building via the JSO LGBT Liaison Team providing a security presence at LGBTQI events such as the Pride Parade and Festival, etc.

  • Accountability and transparency related to:

    • Police brutality

    • Timely release of body camera footage

    • Arrests of LGBTQI persons exercising their First Amendment rights

  • Support for the creation of a civilian review committee for police shootings

  • Training JSO officers and recruits on LGBTQI issues of concern via the “We Are Duval” training with JSO recruits, and other training sessions with other JSO officers and staff

  • Encourage JSO to look at their internal data related to LGBTQI violence