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RECAP: Pride under Attack

Staff | Published on 6/16/2025

The League of Women Voters of Orange County hosted a June 11 Hot Topics lunch and panel discussion, “Pride Under Attack: Defending LGBTQ+ Rights,” about the difficulties that LGBTQ+ people face from state and federal actions.

In the Sunshine State,LGTBQ+ people feel like they’re under attack. But at least there’s hope on the horizon, as the Florida Legislature adjourned its regular session this year without enacting any new laws aimed at the transgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer community. The panel:

MODERATOR: Gina Duncan, president and CEO of the Pride Chamber of Greater Orlando
Dr. George Wallace, CEO of The LGBTQ+ Center Orlando
Nathan Bruemmer, attorney and board member of Equality Florida
Gabriella Rodriguez, executive director of QLatinx.

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PANEL BIOGRAPHIES

MODERATOR: Gina Leigh Duncan

CEO and President, The Pride Chamber of Greater Orlando

Gina Duncan has been a corporate leader in the mortgage banking industry in Florida for more than 30 years. She worked with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage from 1997 to 2011 and served as their area manager of Central Florida. She then was promoted to regional manager for East Florida, overseeing 26 branches, more than 250 employees and a multimillion-dollar budget.

Gina has also served in leadership roles with the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce in Central Florida, the PRIDE Chamber. In 2011, Gina was the first elected transgender president of a major Chamber of Commerce in the United States.

Gina Duncan has also served as the state director of Equality Florida’s Transgender Inclusion Initiative, TransAction Florida, from 2014 to 2021. She oversaw a statewide movement comprised of a 1,200-plus-person advocacy network and led by the TransAction Florida Advisory Council, advocating for transgender rights and protections through public policy, advocacy and educational efforts statewide. She now serves as CEO and President of The Pride Chamber of Greater Orlando, advocating for “Equality Through Economics” with the Central Florida business community.

Gina was chosen as one of the 100 LGBT Movers and Shakers in Florida (2015), Orlando LGBT Center’s Trail Blazer Award (2017), the Diversity Champion’s Award by the Florida Diversity Council (2016), the Debbie Simmons Community Excellence Award at Come Out with Pride in 2018, and the Pride Chamber’s prestigious Community Champion of the Year, 2019. She has been featured on the cover of Orlando Weekly, Watermark and Florida Trend magazines. Gina was presented the coveted Equality Florida Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

Dr. George Wallace

CEO, The LGBTQ+ Center Orlando

The center's mission is the promote and empower the LGBTQ community and its allies through advocacy, education,

information and support. George is an LGBTQ advocate, being named Orlando's favorite activist by Watermark Media for the past five years.

George's career has spanned 30 years in nonprofit management. Prior to joining The Center, he was the executive director at Orlando Fringe Festival and previously the director of community supports for Quest, Inc.

When not spending time focused on human rights, George enjoys travel, Red Sox baseball (sorry, Yankee fans), and Orlando City Soccer games. Originally from Boston, George has called Orlando home since 1992. In 2019, Mayor Dyer appointed Wallace to Orlando's first Multicultural Board, and in 2022, Mayor Jerry Demings named him as Orange County's Distinguished Citizen of the Year.

Nathan Bruemmer

Attorney

Nathan Bruemmer is managing attorney for Bruemmer Law Firm and serves on the board of directors for Equality Florida. He also is the former executive director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota, FL — a community center focusing on outreach, education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth — and as executive director for St. Pete Pride. He also worked as director for LGBTQ Affairs for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

He is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law where he was a member of Stetson Law’s Trial Team, Dispute Resolution Board, and Journal of Advocacy and the Law. Nathan is a Florida native, a graduate of the University of South Florida and a former teacher in Hillsborough County. He has worked as a consultant, educator and advocate on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth, the transgender community and those impacted by food and housing insecurity.

Nathan was named one of the Tampa Bay Area’s “Most Remarkable People” in 2018 by Watermark Media. The Tampa Bay Business Journal presented him with the Business of Pride “Outstanding Voice Award” for his advocacy work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in 2017.

Nathan has served on the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Council of Diversity and Inclusion, the TransAction Florida Advisory Council and the board of directors for the Rainbow Housing Coalition.

Gabriella Rodriguez

Executive Director, QLatinx

Gabriella Rodriguez is a dedicated, queer woman of color, bringing a wealth of community knowledge and expertise to her work. Her journey as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, sexual health and wellness is deeply personal, rooted in her life experiences, and she approaches this work with an intersectional perspective.

These experiences have ignited a strong sense of purpose in Gabriella to rewrite the prevailing narrative. She now currently serves as the executive director of QLatinx, a small grassroots organization that works to uplift and empower Central Florida Latinx LGBTQ+ community. Her mission remains to dismantling stigma and discrimination within the community, raising awareness and empowering individuals to embrace self-discovery, self-love and personal well-being. Gabriella's work is rooted in the pursuit of social justice and equity, striving for liberation despite the odds.

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Calls to Action

Visit The Pride Chamber of Orlando and click on "Get Involved" to see their programs and networking groups that would welcome your participation.

Click "Volunteer" on The Center Orlando to discover how you can help them fulfill their mission to promote and empower the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

Learn about QLATINX, their many programs/resources and community opportunities that would welcome your involvement.

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REVIEW and News Article

Read Orlando Weekly article by McKenna Schueler summarizing news from the event.

Hot Topics Panel Discusses Assault on LGBTQ+ Rights
By Judi Hayes
LWVOC Co-President Jane Hursh opened the June 11 panel discussion with the following:
“Nine years ago this month, the Pulse tragedy occurred. We were stunned and devastated by this horrific act of violence targeting LGBTQ+ people. But in that dark moment, we came together as a community. People lined up to donate blood, the shores of Lake Eola filled with people joining together to mourn and honor those lost, and to support each other. In our worst of times, the best in us came out, in our community and our country…

“Nine years later, the landscape has changed and the LGBTQ community is under another type of assault as rights, hard fought for, are in question and trans people are cast as the “other” and under threat,” Hursh said.
Moderator Gina Duncan is CEO and President of The Pride Chamber of Greater Orlando advocating for “Equality Through Economics” with the Central Florida business community. She has been a corporate leader in the Florida mortgage banking industry for more than 30 years, and has served in leadership roles with many LGBTQ+ organizations and has been recognized with numerous awards including the Equality Florida Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other panelists included Nathan Bruemmer, founding attorney and principal of Bruemmer Law & Policy, who serves on the board of directors for Equality Florida. He is the former executive director of ALSO Youth in Sarasota, FL — a community center focusing on outreach, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+
youth — and executive director for St. Pete Pride. He also worked as director for LGBTQ Affairs for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Gabriella Rodriguez is Executive Director of QLatinx, a grassroots organization that works to uplift and empower the Central Florida Latinx LGBTQ+ community. Her mission is the dismantling of stigma and discrimination within the community, raising awareness and empowering individuals. Gabriella's work is rooted in the pursuit of social justice and equity, striving for liberation despite the odds.

Dr. George Wallace is CEO of The LGBTQ+ Center Orlando. The center's mission is to promote and empower the LGBTQ community and its allies through advocacy, education, information, and support.
George's career has spanned 30 years in nonprofit management. Prior to joining The Center, he was the executive director at Orlando Fringe Festival. In 2022, Mayor Jerry Demings named him as Orange County's Distinguished Citizen of the Year.

Duncan set the stage for the discussion. “According to the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ community is facing unprecedented challenges
in 2025. There is a sense of being under attack in every aspect of their lives,” Duncan said. “How did we get here? It started with a conservative policy plan, Project 2025, produced by the Heritage Foundation in April of 2023, designed to reshape the federal government, giving the President more power. It
contains numerous provisions that significantly impact LGBTQ+ rights and protections. It advocates for removing LGBTQ+ related language from federal documents and regulations, ending protections in various areas like healthcare and employment, promoting discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals,
and erasing the transgender community. … State legislatures, especially in Florida and Texas, have passed a large number of bills that negatively impact LGBTQ+ rights, especially for transgender individuals. These attacks include bills targeting healthcare for transgender youth and adults,
participation in sports, personal ID’s, and bathroom access.”

“Executive orders signed by President Trump, such as those recognizing only two sexes based on biological characteristics and restricting access to gender-affirming care for youth, have further fueled these concerns. The continued demonization of the trans community has also fueled overt discrimination and violence against the community.

She continued, “How can we push back? State and national LGBTQ+ Civil rights organizations emphasize the importance of continuing to mobilize and fight back against these attacks. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies are actively mobilizing and advocating for their rights, leading to successes in blocking or
defeating discriminatory legislation.

“Numerous court decisions have affirmed the rights of transgender individuals in all aspects of society. The legal battles and public discussions around LGBTQ+ rights are bringing more visibility to the community and increasing understanding and support. While there are significant challenges and
threats to LGBTQ+ rights in 2025, particularly those stemming from conservative policy agendas and legislative efforts, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are actively engaged in resisting these attacks and making progress in the fight for equality.”

The panelists discussed the increase in needs the community is seeing, from mental health services to basic assistance with obtaining identification and food. With so many stunning executive orders and laws coming out so fast, “flooding the zone,” the panelists all described their efforts to triage
community needs.

Major funders are pulling back support, concerned about government policies targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Bruemmer said he has heard that corporate sponsorships and partnerships are down by as much as 40 percent nationwide.
The big question is how do we improve the situation? How can people be good allies of the LGBTQ+ community? And what can the League of Women Voters of Orange County do to help?

The panelists described the importance of speaking up, of having conversations in our social circles, of coming together as a community. Don’t parrot language that’s harming the LGBTQ+ community, they said. Donate your time and your money to help at every level. We’re all in this together.

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