LGBTQ+ / Shopper Sources / Dwelling

Nikki, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Fried dedicated to improving the health, safety, wealth and lives of all Floridians, including the hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ Floridians. From promoting opportunities in agriculture to fighting discrimination and fraud targeting the LGBTQ+ community, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) stands ready to serve LGBTQ+ Floridians.

LGBTQ+ initiatives at FDACS

January 2019: One from Commissioner Frieds first act was to prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

March 2019: commissioner Fried appointed FDACS’ first LGBTQ Consumer Advocate to serve as the department’s liaison to the LGBTQ+ community in Florida, raise awareness of opportunities in the agribusiness and help fight discrimination and fraud against the LGBTQ+ community.

May 2020: commissioner Fried created a Diversity and Inclusion Work Group within the FDACS, a 12-member committee from diverse backgrounds and perspectives that reviews existing departmental policies and develops recommendations to improve diversity, inclusion and equity within the department.

September 2020: “Inclusion” was added to the department’s core values ​​of Professionalism, Commitment, Integrity, Innovation and Excellence.

Bullying Prevention

Bullying is a growing concern for all Florida residents because it is pervasive and has a powerful impact on a student’s well-being, social functioning and academic performance. LGBTQ+ students, or those perceived as such, are disproportionately subject to bullying and harassment. Section 1006.147, Florida Statutes, also known as the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act, prohibits bullying or harassment of students or employees at a K-12 public school on school premises, at school-sponsored events, and over school computer networks.

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help prevent bullying by speaking up, creating a safe school environment, and developing a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

Learn how to recognize bullying. Confront bullying safely. These are the keys to prevention.

Anti-Bullying Resources

General Resources

Resources for Educators

Resources for Parents

resources for youth

Additional Resources

• youth and school health (CDC): Resources for professional development, tools for creating a safe and supportive environment, and health considerations for LGBTQ youth.
• American Psychological Association: Resources and data for understanding sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Equality Florida: Safe and Healthy LGBTQ+ Schools Project: Resources on best practices for creating safe and positive environments for all students.
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation: Schools welcome: A comprehensive prejudice-based bullying prevention program to provide LGBTQ and gender-sensitive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists and resources designed specifically for educators and youth ministry professionals.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, LGBTQ+: Dedicated resources for the LGBTQ+ community and those who support it. Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• The Trevor Project: The world’s largest prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, offering 24/7 access via phone, text and chat: 1-866-488-7386.
• US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR): Resources for LGBTQI+ Students: OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools. Bullying, harassment, exclusion from school activities and other forms of discrimination can affect LGBTQI+ students’ access to a safe and inclusive school environment. However, federal law requires schools to ensure that LGBTQI+ students and other students have equal access to all aspects of a school’s programs and activities.
• Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Data Summary and Trend Report 2009-2019[ ] (CDC): The latest surveillance data on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States