In Film Tax Credit Bill for the State of Florida. Now its time to ensure his defeat in the elections as well.

By Melanie Nathan 3-28-10. The Florida Legislature heeded its conscience, not to mention great advocacy from a coalition of 80 organizations under the banner, “Florida Together,” including noise makers from outside the State such as here at Lezgetreal, where we called for a boycott of filming in Florida State , by removing the language from proposed tax credit bills that provided incentives for filmmakers only if they avoided depictions of “nontraditional family values.”

Republican Stephen Precourt proposed a new bill, which was being considered in the Florida house, which would make movie and TV productions with gay characters ineligible for a tax credit.

Precourt claimed he was not targeting the gay community, yet provides a moronic contradiction when he qualifies his statement by saying that he does not want to invest public dollars in shows with gay characters.

“We support bringing film jobs to Florida,” Georg Ketelhohn, chair of Florida Together, in a press statement. “We just don’t think literally paying someone to reinforce negative stereotypes is good public policy.” So the clause was scraped.

“I am proud the Legislature saw the difference between creating jobs in Florida and rewarding discrimination. Florida Together did good work keeping this issue in the spotlight and working with us to fix it,” said Senator David Aronberg, in Florida Together’s news release.

For us at LGR this hails another victory reflecting that US equality activists are on alert and will do all possible to expose, oppose and defeat hate and discrimination in our battle to win equality.

This presents yet another example of why The Civil Rights Act MUST be amended to include sexual orientation. Short of that we will always be fighting for piecemeal legislation, Repeal of this DOMA and maybe more DOMA’s to come, fighting battles at State level that ought not be reposed for discrimination.

Face Book and the Internet, News wires and Bloggers on command, we have found a way to muster up our forces, ad hoc and when needed. If you support equality why not adopt it as your middle name! Many are reflecting their views by doing so already. These are the unsung heroes in our fight,….. keep up the great work.

Keep the tips coming in and if you comment your voice will be heard.

Copy of what I wrote to Precourt – see earlier Post:

Dear Stephen Precourt,Gay Rights Advocates Call for Boycott of Filming in Florida – http://lezgetreal.com/?p=27912

Please get rid of your hate clause in the Bill for film tax credit increase. Hollywood is pro LGBT equality and Gay people will continue to be portrayed in the positive light deserved. For the most part we have every family value attribute possible. That is why we want equality.

You should get to know a few of us before you make such bland judgment calls, probably based on your inability to honor our constitution by separating church from state.

If you came to my home for dinner, you would be impressed with our values and the modeling we provide for our two daughters. You will see the normalcy and love in our family.

In film, we will be increasingly depicted for exactly who we are and your shoddy legislation will never eradicate our de facto and soon to be de jure existence. In fact all it will serve to do is isolate Florida from the industry; as the film industry will rather suffer the loss of tax credit than the freedom of speech and the right to equally portray every kind of family that depicts our real world.

We will Boycott Florida if you fail to withdraw your discriminatory legislation.

Warm Regards,

Melanie Nathan.

THE PROPOSED BILL: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0697__.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0697&Session=2010

Melanie Nathan

By: Melanie Nathan Nathan@privatecourts.com

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