The Florida Democratic League (FDL) is one of the state's minority-led

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

, equality, and

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...

advocacy organizations Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...

. The FDL reports having over 68,000 members and supporters. It is Hispanic founded and run.

Structure

The Florida Democratic League is a State of Florida-chartered non-profit political organization focusing on advancing

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

civil liberties Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may ...

, and social welfare of all Floridians, especially ethnic and racial minorities, through

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...

federal, state and local officials for support of equality, human and civil rights and social justice legislation, and mobilizing grassroots action among its members. Local activities are carried out by local steering committees, of which there are 6 located throughout the State of Florida.

Leadership

The Florida Democratic League's leadership includes President Manuel Rodriguez; Chairman, Dr. Eladio Jose Armesto; Vice President, Rev. Julio E. Perez; Vice President, Nathaniel Wilcox; Secretary, Miriam Gonzalez; Treasurer, Jordanis Padron. FDL’s work is supported by two boards: the Board of Directors, which is the governing body for the organization and the Board of Advisors, which advises the organization on its statewide outreach. Both boards are composed of volunteer members from across the state.

History

Bernardo Arago, Fidel Iglesias, Rene Valdez, Mariela Valdez, Jose "Pepe" Vera, Martha Vera and Eladio Jose Armesto founded the Democratic League of Dade County (DLDC) in 1991 to unite and organize the county’s Hispanic Democrats. In 1992, the League endorsed and actively campaigned for presidential candidate

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

. In January 1993, the DLDC organized the Miami Bill Clinton Inaugural Party. In March 1993, FDL launched a Florida Voter Registration project. In October 2006, the FDL was incorporated in the State of Florida as a non-profit political organization. As part of its commitment to true marriage equality, i.e., affording everyone the same, equal right to marry under the same, equal terms and conditions, the FDL joined with other organizations in filing an Amicus Brief in the anti-Voter Rights, anti-Democracy, anti-Constitution lawsuit of Catherine Pareto, et al., vs. Harvey Ruvin, filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on January 21, 2014. The FDL argued that Florida’s Constitution already afforded everyone full Marriage Equality. "Florida’s Constitution already prohibits discrimination and guarantees all Floridians true Marriage Equality, based on the same, equal right to marry another person under the same, equal terms and conditions. When exercising this right, no one’s alleged sexual behavioral choices are ever considered. Indeed, no one is asked their alleged sexual behavioral choices or preferences when applying for a Marriage license in the Sunshine State. The reason is clear: Florida’s Constitution and laws do not ban or prohibit anyone from marrying as husband and wife provided they are of age, unmarried, and not blood related."

Awards

The Florida Democratic League maintains a number of awards for individuals distinguished for their social justice and civil liberties-related work. In addition to League awards, local chapters also award their own versions of the awards. These awards are typically presented at an annual dinner gala.

References

External links

* {{authority control Organizations based in Miami Organizations based in Florida Political advocacy groups in the United States