Charlie Crist Speaks on HIV/AIDS and Marriage Equality




During our private meeting in his hotel suite, Crist and I discussed our departure from the Republican Party and how we aligned ourselves with the Democratic Party because it values and prioritizes the needs of all people.

We spoke candidly about our families and life experiences and I reminded him of a public dialogue we once had relating to abstinence-only sex education and how it fails to factor in the needs of LGBTQ youth and at-risk youth. We also discussed the staggering impact of HIV/AIDS in Florida and how South Florida leads the nation with the highest rates of new HIV-infections.
x






Gov, Charlie Crist well received at Democratic Conference

Several Florida Democrats groveled over previous Gov. Charlie Crist this weekend at their Biannual conference, appropriating a victor's welcome more than a prior week he formally declares his bid for senator.

The Florida Democratic Party's gathering gave Crist, who wasn't an official speaker, a stage to do
what he appears to fondness best - posture for photos, whisper expressions of consolation and wait long enough with admirers to make a logjam wherever he went.

"He has the same mystique as John Kennedy, that same undefineable thing," said Mary Mackenzie, a Pinellas Park designate who said she shook Jfk's hand twice as a youthful young lady and gets the same excite from her cooperations with Crist decades later. "He makes you have a feeling that you are the one and only on the planet, for instance you truly matter."

Down the lobby, gubernatorial hopeful Nan Rich, a deep rooted Democrat and previous state official who served as Senate Minority Leader, didn't get about the rock-star gathering as Crist, Crist reported he had exchanged his enrollment to Democrat at a Christmas occasion a year ago at the White House with President Obama.

The majority of the discourses at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort were concentrated on overcoming occupant Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican who beat Democratic rival Alex Sink by less than 1 rate focus three years back.

For some gathering supporters, previous Republican Gov. Crist represents an issue.

"He's exceptionally amiable. Anyhow I'm a doubter. So I'm in the again of my head thinking what's the cause and how is he set to benefit off the constituents?" said Lois Porcella, who exists in Palm Beach County. "It truly descends to the center theory of the gathering and how that applicant is anticipating those standards to the voters. I comprehend that the final objective is to annihilation the Republicans. Anyway still you can't surrender your middle being."

Rich called the race a decision between "substance and style" and said Democrats are at a defining moment.

"This essential is set to be about what sort of Democrats we are. In the ballpark of a year out, Democrats dependably begin to consider we have to have a progressive Democrat and that we can't stand to have an ongoing. I can't help disagreeing with them. We have chosen Barack Obama twice in this state, an African-American man twice who has orderly standards," Rich said. "I accept there's a developing continuous development in the state… I'm finding it as I travel. Individuals are energized. They need a Democrat that has the center Democratic qualities and standards. That is what I'm set to present."

Yet being closed out of the senator's manor since Jeb Bush was chosen in 1998 has made numerous Democrats more even minded. Furthermore national Democrats are now arranging with an eye on Crist, who will formally proclaim his bid Nov. 4 in the place where he grew up of St. Petersburg and who has recently been going around the nation to rustle up backing.

"Whatever issues individuals need to raise about Charlie Crist, he is a matchless government official. He knows his individuals. As a Democrat, I will say that I suppose he did a mess of reasonable things for the state of Florida as far as training. I suppose we might be route more distant ahead in social insurance in Florida in the event that he were representative. Also I suppose he can decimate Rick Scott. Furthermore we require an applicant who can defeat Rick Scott," Bonnie Sklaren of Gulfport said.

Crist said the agents have demonstrated to him moving generosity.

"I suppose they see my heart and comprehend. They see what the administration of the Republican Party has come to be," Crist said. "I'm the place my heart is and I feel extremely at home. What's more I suppose they have respected the believer and I'm appreciative."

Yet Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry, who set up shop in a pub in the lodging where the Democrats are gathering, jeered at Crist's change.

"He's simply an entrepreneur. He's incapable in the matter of overseeing and he's an entrepreneur in the matter of his own political profession," Curry said.

Tending to the Democratic dark council in a flooding gathering room, Crist spoke of the prejudice Jackie Robinson experienced on the baseball field. Robinson needed to push his quality by accepting punishment silently, said Crist, who has been ambushed determinedly by Florida Republicans.

"These individuals impending after you like that, they're making sensitivity for you. In light of the fact that you're that great. You stand straight. That is the reason you're here. That is the reason you have to join. That is the reason you have to have an effect. I don't give a second thought who it is. I don't give a second thought what part of the state you're from. 2014 is imperative. We're impending. We're advancing. Barack did it twice in Florida on account of you. Get prepared. It's impending," Crist said before being smashed by dark supporters.

Outside, representative Gloria Goolsby of North Lauderdale gripped Crist and begin crying uncontrollably. Crist shepherded her far from the swarm as Goolsby mournfully informed Crist concerning her child, who was discharged from jail four years back yet couldn't uncover a vocation in light of the fact that he is a sentenced criminal. As representative, Crist was instrumental in making it less demanding for criminals to have their rights, incorporating the right to vote, restored after their sentences were finished. In one of his first activities in the wake of taking office, Scott and the Cabinet turned around the procedure and rather infringed a base five-year defer before criminals can start to have their rights restored.

With his arm around Goolsby, Crist called her offspring and left a message.

"I need to leave you know you're not be. We're set to do something about this," Crist s

Michael Emanuel Rajner's comment before the Broward County School Board relating to homophobic statements

Video from my public comment before the Broward County School Board relating to homophobic statements by a State Representative serving on the K-12 Education Subcommittee. A special thank you for 2 amazing lesbians who are nurturing a child in a home with 2 mommies who let me share your story that serves as a model of a loving family and home.
---
South Florida LGBT Community speaks at Broward County School Board meeting to publicly respond to bigoted and homophobic statements made by State Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala, Florida.

In a K-12 Subcommittee meeting of the Florida House of Representatives Committee on Education, Representative Baxley stated a home with 2 mommies is a dysfunctional structure and no different than a home filled with commercial sex work, drug and alcohol abuse and violence.


Equality Florida Statement on Outrageous Comments by Representative Baxley Disparaging LGBT Families 
“We hope Representative Baxley has the decency to apologize for his comments disparaging gay parents and our children.  More than that, we invite Representative Baxley to educate himself, talk with us and actually meet our families. We are a diverse state and no elected official can fulfill their oath of office if they only respect and care about the people and families that look just like their own,” said Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida.

“The entire child welfare community, every credible agency and all research, is unanimous in recognizing that gay parents are equally capable of of raising children and that our kids do just as well as their classmates.”

Equality Florida has requested a meeting with Representative Baxley after his comments on Tuesday, October 8 in the House, K-12 Subcommittee disparaging LGBT parents, comparing them to abusive parents and equating having same-sex parents with alcoholism. 

Below is the text of his statement:

"It's easy to say parents need to get involved, but half these kids are raising themselves; they don't have any parents that are functional.  How can we address that?  I know it's scope and I know it's hard, but you're probably their only hope.  I mean I sat an hour and a half with a teacher telling me, well this child has got serial men coming through the house, this one has two mommy's, this one has abusive father whose home, this has alcoholism, this one has drug abuse.  It was a casualty warfare event to hear - just her classroom - how many dysfunctional, atypical - to me - uh, structures are in the way of a kid having a chance to learn." Representative Dennis Baxley

Michael Emanuel Rajner

Urban Family Engagement Network project.

Broward County
 

The Broward County Council of PTA has been selected by the National PTA as one of
six sites for the Urban Family Engagement Network project. The Urban Family Engagement Network project is designed to train parents and community leaders, engage underserved families, and connect families to valuable community resources through a series of 12 workshop sessions.

The goal of this grassroots training is to equip parents with the tools to support their children’s academic success, provide opportunities to build leadership skills and empower parents to get engaged in active advocacy efforts to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.

Each 3 hour workshop will consist of two sessions for a total of 12 sessions. We encourage participants to attend all the sessions in order to complete this National PTA training.

We invite all PTAs, parents and members of the community to register and attend these workshops. Materials, child care and food will be available for participants. Please fill out the attached registration form or you can find the form online at https://sites.google.com/site/browardptsa/urban and email it to browardpta1@gmail.com
Workshop Sessions
1.  Orientation/Parent Involvement / 2. Parents’ Rights and Responsibilities
3. The Parent Teacher Partnership/ 4. Structure and Function of School Site
5. Structure and Function of the School District and Board/ 7. The Politics of Education
6. Engaging Father Figures/ 8. Responsible Leadership and Teamwork
9. Facilitating and Participating in Productive Meetings/ 10. Developing an Action Plan
11. Strengthening Communication Skills / 12. Reflection as Leaders

Thank You
The Broward PTA Urban Network Team

Broward County


Pre-Registration Form
National PTA Urban Family Engagement Network Workshops
Please Print

Name: ________________________________________

Phone: ____________       Email: _____________________
School(s):
______________________________________________________________________
Please check the workshop(s) you are registering for:
Date               Session                                 Location      
                       
__        10/19/13          3&4                              Silver Trail Middle                   9 AM-1 PM
18300 Sheridan St., Pembroke Pines 33331           
__        10/23/13          5&7                              Horizon Elementary                6:30-9 PM      
2101 Pine Island Rd., Sunrise 33322           
__        11/9/13            8&9                              Crystal Lake Middle                9 AM-1PM
3551 NE Third Ave., Pompano Beach 33064           
__        12/11/13          10,11&12                     Lyons Creek Middle                6:30-9 PM
4333 Sol Press Blvd., Coconut Creek 33073           

A continental breakfast and box lunch will be provided at the Saturday AM workshops and dinner at the weekday PM workshops. Child care will be available at all workshops.


Email completed form to: browardpta1@gmail.com