Across the United States, a myriad of States, Counties, Boroughs, and Municipalities have enacted HRO’s to ensure basic anti-discrimination civil rights, foster healthy economic and societal development, and encourage new employers and residents to locate to their areas. Local HRO’s also augment federal and state civil rights protections, some of which are limited to large employers and contain other loopholes.
Here in Florida, HRO’s have been enacted by Alachua, Broward, Leon, Orange, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Volusia Counties, and by the municipalities of St. Augustine, Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami, South Miami, Sarasota, Venice, North Port, and Tampa.
However, currently the Sarasota County provide basic civil rights anti-discrimination legal protections for LGBT people.