Ending bullying has been a top priority for Equality Florida for over a decade. The organization spearheaded a successful coalition effort to pass a statewide bullying bill here in Florida. The Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act was passed in 2008 and required every school district in the state to create an anti-bullying policy.
After passage of the law we quickly worked with the Florida Department of Education to develop a sample policy that included critical protections for LGBT youth. In the years since Jeff's Law passed we've worked with local teams to ensure schools districts adopt the sample laguage and we've helped track these poilcy changes.
Today, Florida protects more students from anti-LGBT bullying than any other state except California and New York. Eighteen Florida school districts ban harrassment and bullying based on a students sexual orientation and fourteen also ban bullying based on a students gender identity and expression.
That means 64% of students are specifically protected from bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation, while 59% of all students are protected from bullying based on gender identity with more school districts poised to enact these vital protections.
1,676,029 students are protected bullying based on sexual orientation. Florida ranks 4th in the nation, behind California, New York and Illinois, in the number of students protected.
1,487,106 students are protected from bullying based on gender identity and expression. Florida ranks 3rd in the nation, behind California and New York, in the number of students protected.