Companies with at least five employees that also have county contracts that meet or exceed $100,000 must offer domestic partner benefits equal to those offered to married couples, according to a new ordinance approved by the Broward County Council.

Early yesterday afternoon, the Broward County Council unanimously passed a equal benefits ordinance, which resembles similar ordinances in San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Portland and requires the county's vendors to provide domestic partners with benefits equal to those offered to spouses of married employees.

Equality Florida said the following in their statement:

“By enacting this ordinance, Broward County adopts one of the nation's most significant policies furthering workplace equality. Today, Broward County continues its long history of leadership in the area of human rights by delivering on the promise of equal pay for equal work.

Broward is the first county Florida to adopt an EBO. In 2005 Miami Beach became the first city in the state to pass an EBO, and the Miami Beach policy has been praised by the city commission and the staff, while reporting no negative fiscal impact.

The ordinance places Broward County's domestic partnership policies among the strongest in the country.”

GLAAD applauds the work of our community partners, Equality Florida and others, for sending a clear message that everyone should be able to take care of and provide for their families and the people they love.