The city of Orlando is working to take another step toward expanding gender equality.
City Council members are now considering changing the city's anti-discrimination policy to include transgender people.
Channel 9's Lori Brown spent much of July 4 at Disney World where Outfest, the area's first festival catering to gay parents and their children, is underway.
While Florida law does not recognize gay marriage, there is an effort underway in central Florida to show the LGBT community that they are welcome here.
Several participants in Outfest told Brown that their goal is to expose people to families consisting of two moms or two dads.
Actor and producer Dan Bucatinsky of the ABC primetime series "Scandal" was on hand with his husband and two children.
"That's one of the things we want to see is people know him as an actor, go up to him and go, 'Oh, he's gay in real life," said Mikael Audebert with the Metropolitan Business Association.
The city of Orlando has recently taken several steps to support the LGBT community. The city filed a court document supporting legalizing gay marriage and now is poised to better protect its transgender employees.
"For me it's more personal," said Roxanne Robison.
Robison, who is transgender, works at Lockheed Martin.
She said she has more protections at her job than Orlando city employees currently have.
Robison said it is time for local government to catch up with the private sector.
"Doing things like this helps them get out of that trapped state," said Robison.
The Orlando City Council is set to discuss changes to the city's anti-discrimination policy later this month.
Even if Orlando changes its anti-discrimination policy, under Florida law a company or municipality is still allowed to fire individuals based on their gender identity.
City Council members are now considering changing the city's anti-discrimination policy to include transgender people.
Channel 9's Lori Brown spent much of July 4 at Disney World where Outfest, the area's first festival catering to gay parents and their children, is underway.
While Florida law does not recognize gay marriage, there is an effort underway in central Florida to show the LGBT community that they are welcome here.
Several participants in Outfest told Brown that their goal is to expose people to families consisting of two moms or two dads.
Actor and producer Dan Bucatinsky of the ABC primetime series "Scandal" was on hand with his husband and two children.
"That's one of the things we want to see is people know him as an actor, go up to him and go, 'Oh, he's gay in real life," said Mikael Audebert with the Metropolitan Business Association.
The city of Orlando has recently taken several steps to support the LGBT community. The city filed a court document supporting legalizing gay marriage and now is poised to better protect its transgender employees.
"For me it's more personal," said Roxanne Robison.
Robison, who is transgender, works at Lockheed Martin.
She said she has more protections at her job than Orlando city employees currently have.
Robison said it is time for local government to catch up with the private sector.
"Doing things like this helps them get out of that trapped state," said Robison.
The Orlando City Council is set to discuss changes to the city's anti-discrimination policy later this month.
Even if Orlando changes its anti-discrimination policy, under Florida law a company or municipality is still allowed to fire individuals based on their gender identity.
WFTV
