turtleneckjock saidArt_Deco saidSouth Florida is generally gay friendly, but rather hot in the summer, not for many people year-round. Very nice right now. We just had a cold snap, but back to mid-70s, that we'll keep through Christmas. Florida overall is politically Red, homophobic and bigoted, like the rest of the US South, but we don't experience much of that in most of the southern part, and down through the Keys. The City of Miami is becoming a problem lately, though (which is different from the City of Miami Beach).
You are 100 percent correct! I thought Central Florida would have turned the corner a couple of years ago and become more liberal, however, that was buried in the November elections. We do have a gay person on the Orlando City Council (Patty Sheehan) and actually had a couple of openly gay men to run for political office here, only to be swept up in the Red Tide.
What is the problem in the City of Miami?
Miami is becoming dangerous for gays, an increase in assault and hate crimes. We've also had some gay murders and assaults here in Fort Lauderdale, that the police and prosecutors have not termed hate crimes, despite very strong evidence. Some say it's the Latino influence, the macho male attitude plus the influence of the homophobic Catholic Church. I don't know.
It was in Miami that the notorious case of the vacationing lesbian couple happened over 2 years ago, where one had a sudden brain aneurism and died. Her partner and their kids were denied access to her by the hospital, despite their having prepared legal documents, and she died alone.
The Florida State Supreme Court later ruled in the hospital's favor, saying it had to the right to deny access to a lesbian partner, regardless of their prearranged legal instruments. It was this shameful case that prompted President Obama to issue an Executive Order to the Dept of HHS, that health care providers must honor GLBT partners who have drawn such legal protections for each other, in order for the provider to continue receiving Federal monies through HHS.
Obama personally announced the order in Miami, in a symbolic gesture. Last I heard it still hadn't been implemented, I believe because of obstacles from Congressional Republicans, who do not want gays to have hospital access to their partners. Does anyone know the current status of this?
