WILTON MANORS, Fla. – Wilton Manors Commissioner Chris Caputo is speaking out against a new bill making its way through the Florida legislature that would ban the LGBTQ Pride flag.
Caputo said Florida House Bill 10-11 aims to restrict which flags can be flown outside of government buildings or on government grounds.
Caputo said he is proud that both the LGBTQ and transgender flags fly outside of Wilton Manors City Hall.
“It tells me it’s a safe space,” Caputo said. “It tells me that I’m welcome here and people like me are welcome here.”
The bill would limit other flags as well since it would only allow the flags of the U.S., Florida, POW, and the Firefighter Memorial to fly on government property.
“It’s women’s history month if we wanted to fly something for women or breast cancer awareness month — like to not be able to fly flags that express the values of our community — this is really, it’s scary,” Caputo said.
The bill filed by Republican Florida Rep. David Borrero, of Miami-Dade County, says, “No other flag may be exposed to public view for exhibition or display, in any manner, by a governmental agency, local government, or unit of local government.”
“America was founded on diversity and freedom of expression not on everybody being the same and feeling the same,” Caputo said.
Critics like Caputo said that if the bill passes and it takes effect on July 1 they are afraid that more discriminatory measures will come next.
“This isn’t a one-off incident,” Caputo said. “This is part of a growing number of attacks on every front against the LGBTQ community.”
Borrero, an attorney and former Sweetwater commissioner, declined to comment on this story.