The Alachua County Commission will conduct Special Meetings on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and Tuesday, March 5, 2019. The meetings begin at 10 a.m., in the Grace Knight Conference Room, located on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, downtown Gainesville).
Meeting Topics
- February 5th - Conversion Therapy: The Commission has expressed a desire to prohibit the practice of sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts on minors by licensed therapists, including reparative and/or conversion therapy, which have been demonstrated to be harmful to the physical and psychological well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning persons. Earlier this year, the City of Gainesville adopted an ordinance making it unlawful for any provider to practice conversion therapy on a minor and provided for enforcement by civil citation with the possibility of a civil action for injunctive relief.
- March 5th - Additional Protections from Discrimination in Housing and Real Estate Transactions: Currently the Human Rights Ordinance prohibits discriminatory practices in housing based on protected status or characteristics to include race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and familial status (families with children under 18). The Commission has expressed a desire to provide additional protections within the context of housing and real estate transactions based on veterans or service member status, lawful source of income, being the victim of dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, and immigration status. The ordinance and its proposed amendments are applicable within the geographic boundaries of Alachua County. However, if a municipality in Alachua County has (or adopts) a human rights ordinance or like legislation, such municipal ordinance prevails over the County's ordinance to the extent of any conflict between the two ordinances.
The public is invited to attend this meeting. It will be available to view live on Facebook, Cox Channel 12, and the County’s Video on Demand website.
Citizens are encouraged to stay engaged by signing up for the following: Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletter/Press Release
For more information, contact Alachua County Equal Opportunity Manager Jacqueline Chung at 352-374-5275.
