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The Florida Legislature completed its first week of the 2015 session on Friday, and we are sorry to report that among its first activities, it advanced a bill that would discriminate against transgender individuals in public accommodations like bathrooms, locker rooms and other places where there is an expectation of privacy. Reacting to the historic passage of a transgender-inclusive amendment to the important human rights ordinance in Miami-Dade county, and targeted at reversing others across the state, HB 583 makes it a crime to use a bathroom that does not coordinate with the sex on one’s birth certificate or drivers’ license. Both the bathroom user and the company that provides the public restroom can even by sued by members of the public. The bill cleared its first committee on the second day of the legislative session.

In the last two weeks, Florida legislative committees have voted to: ban trans people from public bathrooms; release your private electronic data after you die; hide evidence from police body cameras from the public; allow adoption agencies to use their beliefs as a reason to keep kids from gay, single, mixed-faith or other families; and insert themselves between a woman seeking an abortion and her doctor. Can civil rights and liberties get a break in this state?

Six weeks down, three to go. Our sixth week with the Florida’s legislature might have been its worst yet. The first major bill that would impact the civil rights and liberties of Floridians went to the House floor. And on a party line vote, the House passed HB 7111. If made law, this bill will allow state funded adoption agencies to refuse to place children in otherwise loving and qualified homes if doing so would violate the agencies’ religious or moral beliefs. Gay? Divorced? In an interfaith relationship? If you’re looking to adopt in Florida, the agencies that have been entrusted to find our most vulnerable kids permanent homes may be able to turn you away. The good news is that the bill hasn’t been introduced independently in the Senate and an attempt to attach it to another bill failed, but the fight isn’t over, as the House bill could be brought up any moment. We need to remain vigilant: contact your Senator and tell him or her to oppose this hurtful bill. If you need some inspiration, read this story from 16-year-old Anthony of Clearwater to see how this bill could have denied him – and many children like him – the chance at his perfect family.

As we enter the second half of the Florida legislative session, several bills we warned you about continue to advance. Two in particular seem to be getting a lot of traction. First, Florida is considering a 24 hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion. The bills sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores (R-Miami) and Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R-Eustis) require a woman to make two trips to a facility at least 24 hours apart in order to give a woman time to “reflect” upon her decision to have an abortion. This bill imposes many hardships on women and is not medically necessary.