Equality Florida has begun dispersing the more than $9 million donors gave in the wake of Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub shooting. But that’s only half of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group’s response.
After the Pulse shooting, Equality Florida made two promises. The first was to help victims and their families recover. The second was to ensure Pulse never happens again. The group’s CEO Nadine Smith says keeping that second promise means pushing for LGBT non-discrimination measures in the state legislature.
“Momentum has been building and I think Pulse sort of opened minds, softened some hearts,” Smith says. “We’re seeing allies in places where we hadn’t seen allies before. So I think the prospects next year are very strong.”
In a new move, the organization will also be throwing its weight behind gun control measures. GoFundMe, the online fundraising service that hosted Equality Florida’s Pulse donation site, has agreed to back the group’s legislative efforts up to $100,000.
