From inclusion in Boy Scouts to trans rights to marriage equality, the far-right (and even much of the center) is bent on denying LGBTQ basic accommodations. Every victory comes through, or is affirmed by, the judicial system.
But those fights aren’t free. Lambda Legal says each case costs about a million dollars, often more. South Florida is leading the way in the fight.
Lambda Legal held a huge fundraiser at the Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale, bringing in more than $500,000.
“Fort Lauderdale is a bastion of strength for Lambda Legal,” CEO Kevin Jennings told OutSFL during an exclusive, sit down interview at a VIP reception. “The community down here is extraordinarily generous. People down here get it.”
Jennings says that their annual South Florida fundraiser is their third largest in the country, ahead of LGBTQ-friendly cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“We are at real risk and we really need to fight back. People here have risen to the occasion,” he said.
Many Floridians see the danger of Trump’s national anti-LGBTQ agenda because they’ve already seen it here. From “Don’t Say Gay” to erecting barriers to safe trans care, Gov. Ron DeSantis used Florida as his own extreme laboratory.
“Sometimes laboratories produce Dr. Frankenstein. I would say Ron DeSantis has produced Dr. Bigotstein. It’s become sadly a model for the country.”
Jennings says money donated to Lambda Legal has an impact. “We know how to beat this guy [Trump] and we will do it again.”
During Trump’s first term, Lambda Legal won 12 of 14 cases. So far this year, they’ve sued the administration four times and already won one of them. Jennings says they are currently involved in 72 cases in 29 states, including Florida.
Many of the fights are repetitive. The makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court has changed since marriage equality was approved and sodomy laws were struck down.
“We’re going to have to relitigate everything. Let’s be really clear. Their goal is to drag us back to the pre-Stonewall era.”
Jennings was clear in his conviction that rights will prevail, and urged everyone to never give up hope.
“Lambda Legal has your back. We will not roll over and play dead. We are going to fight every step of the way. We’ll lose some fights, but we’re gonna win the war.”
