LGBTQ+

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

LGBTQ+ Initiatives at FDACS

January 2019: One of Commissioner Fried's first actions in office was banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

March 2019: Commissioner Fried appointed FDACS's first LGBTQ Consumer Advocate to serve as the department's liaison to Florida’s LGBTQ+ community, raise awareness about opportunities within the agriculture industry, and help address discrimination and fraud targeted at the LGBTQ+ community.

May 2020: Commissioner Fried created within FDACS a Diversity and Inclusion Work Group, a 12-member committee of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which reviewed existing department policies and developed 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 of increasing focus for all Floridians as its prevalence is pervasive and has a strong impact on a student's well-being, social functioning and academic achievement. LGBTQ+ students, or those perceived as such, are disproportionately subjected 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 any student or employee of a public K-12 school on school grounds, at school-sponsored events, and through school computer networks.

Parents, school staff and other adults in the community can help prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

Learn how to identify bullying. Stand up to bullying safely. These are the keys to prevention.

Anti-Bullying Resources

General Resources

• StopBullying.gov | Español.StopBullying.gov: Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, StopBullying.gov provides resources for parents, students and schools. 
• What Is Bullying? (StopBullying.gov)
• Warning Signs for Bullying (StopBullying.gov)
• Bullying and LGBTQI+ Youth (StopBullying.gov)
• Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs (StopBullying.gov)
• Respond to Bullying (StopBullying.gov)
• Bullying Prevention (Florida Department of Education)
• Cyberbullying Research Center: Provides up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes and consequences of cyberbullying.
• GLSEN: GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment.

Resources for Educators

• StopBullying.gov | Español.StopBullying.gov
• Bullying: A Module for Teachers (American Psychological Association)
• Bullying Prevention (National Association of School Psychologists)
• Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation's Classrooms: Provided by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, this training toolkit is made up of two modules to address bullying in classrooms. Specifically, it is designed to assist teachers in cultivating meaningful relationships with students while creating a positive climate in the classroom. 
• Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment on Our Nation's School Buses: Provided by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, this training toolkit is made up of two modules to address bullying on school buses. Specifically, it is designed to assist school bus drivers in cultivating meaningful relationships with students while creating a positive climate on the bus.
• GLSEN: Educator Resources
• Hamilton Fish Institute: The 4-1-1 on Bullying[ ] 
• The Monique Burr Foundation for Children: Offers child abuse prevention education programs. 
• Prevention at School (StopBullying.gov)
• School-Based Bullying Prevention Model Programs I-Guide (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

Resources for Parents

• StopBullying.gov | Español.StopBullying.gov
• Anti-Bullying Resources for Children with Special Needs (AbilityPath.org)
• Bullying and LGBTQ Youth (StopBullying.gov)
• Bullying Prevention for Parents of Middle School Students (StopBullying.gov)
• How to Prevent Bullying (StopBullying.gov)
• Prevent Cyberbullying (StopBullying.gov)
• Technology and Youth: Protecting Your Child from Electronic Aggression[ ] (CDC)

Resources for Youth

• What Kids Can Do (StopBullying.gov)

Additional Resources

• Adolescent 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 related to understanding sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Equality Florida: LGBTQ+ Safe & Healthy Schools Project: Resources about best practices to create safe and affirming environments for all students.
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation: Welcoming Schools: A comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program to provide LGBTQ and gender inclusive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists and resources specifically designed for educators and youth-serving professionals. 
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, LGBTQ+: Resources specific to the LGBTQ+ community and those who support them. Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• The Trevor Project: World’s largest prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, providing 24/7 access via phone, text and chat: 1-866-488-7386.
• U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR): Resources for LGBTQI+ Students: The mission of the OCR is to ensure equal access to education and to 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 interfere with LGBTQI+ students’ access to a safe and inclusive school environment. Federal law, however, 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 & Trends Report 2009-2019[ ] (CDC): The most recent surveillance data on health behaviors and experiences among high school students in the U.S.